Secrets
by SashaAlexanders
Summary: The bags under Kate's eyes had been getting darker and darker all week, the fatigue in her face getting more and more obvious by the day. The past few weeks she had been less focused and more distracted, cutting work early, coming in late, calling in sick at the weekends. Vague and poor excuses for her actions. Eventual Tate.
1. Chapter 1

"Kate is over an hour late and she's not answering her phone" McGee said, his voice laced with worry.

"Kate can look after herself McWorry" Tony replied, putting his feet on his desk and leaning back on his chair.

"Still, this is weird. Even for Kate. She's never late and even if she is, she still calls. I'm getting worried Tony!"

"Look, Timmy, she's probably at the lady doctor or something and she doesn't want us to know about it-"

"-What did I tell you about going through my PDA, Tony!" Kate growled as she entered the bullpen.

"Jeez Kate, you look like hell!" Tony laughed as Kate sat behind her desk.

The bags under Kate's eyes had been getting darker and darker all week, the fatigue in her face getting more and more obvious by the day. The past few weeks she had been less focused and more distracted, cutting work early, coming in late, calling in sick at the weekends. Vague and poor excuses for her actions. And not to mention the fact she was more stressed and on edge than normal.

"Thanks Tony" Kate narrowed her eyes and replied sarcastically.

"No...I mean, are you okay?" Tony asked with a hint of real concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, Tony" Kate huffed frustratedly before runing her hands over her face as if trying to push the obvious stress and fatigue out of her face.

"Are you sure Kate?" McGee asked, his voice full of worry.

"Yes McGee, i'm fine!" Kate growled, the tone of her voice making both Tony and McGee drop the subject.

"You're not _fine _Kate" Gibbs said as he rounded the corner and sat at his desk. "What have we got?"

"Well, she was over an hour late _again_" Tony replied.

"About the case, DiNozzo!" Gibbs shot Tony his famous Gibbs stare.

"Right, um, sorry boss. Petty Officer Julie Quinn, 27..."

Kate could feel her eyes getting heavier and heavier in her head, she had barely caught 2 hours sleep last night, the same the night before and the night before that. Before she knew it she had fell asleep only to be woken up seconds later by Gibbs' hand slamming down on her desk.

"Go home, Kate" Gibbs growled as she opened her eyes sleepily.

"No. I'm fine, I don't need to go home. I'm sorry, it won't happen again"

This was happening more and more often over the past few weeks but today was the first time she had actually fallen asleep on the job.

"You're not fine, Kate, you're far from fine. I don't know what's gotten into you lately but what I do know is that you're going home. I can't have agents falling asleep on the job!" Gibbs spat, his voice filled more with concern than anger.

"Gibbs" Kate tried protesting.

"Kate! Look me in the eye, look me in the eye and tell me honestly that you're fine. That you're 100%, that you can do your job to the best of your ability...You can't. I don't know whats going on with you, and frankly, I don't want to know but what Ido want is for you to sort yourself out! It's final, you're going home and you're going to sleep or whatever and tomorrow you're going to come back and be the old Kate!...DiNozzo, drive Kate home"

Kate grabbed her stuff and headed for the elevator. She neither wanted nor needed Tony to drive her home but she didn't have the energy to fight Gibbs on the matter. And as much as she wanted to work the thought of her bed was far to tempting.

"We'll um, take my car" Tony said in a lightly sheepish voice, not wanting to annoy Kate even more. "...and don't worry, I'll drop your car off later" he spoke again, only this time with a smile.

"You don't have to, Tony"

"I know"

The elevator doors pinged open and Kate stormed out of them, nearly knocking Ziva off her feet.

"A sorry wouldn't hurt" Ziva growled causing Kate to turn on her heels and face her.

"Excuse me?" Kate huffed, raising her eyebrows.

"You heard me"

"Oh, I heard you perfectly, Ziva, but I didn't hear you apologize either!" Kate spat. "And after all, it was you who was in my way"

"Look Kate, I don't know what's gotten onto you this past week but I do not appreciate you taking it out on the rest of us!" Ziva spat back, getting closer to Kate.

"Don't you?" Kate tilted her head sarcasically. "Well I don't appreciate the fact your brother tried to kill me and the rest of my team or the fact you just waltz in here and expect everyone to trust you"

Before Ziva had a chance to retaliate Tony got inbetween them, sending Ziva on her way and taking Kate in the opposite direction to the car park.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"She started it!"

"Yeah well, you two are usually friendly with each other, not at each others throats. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was totally hot but thats not like you"

"Well, like you, Gibbs, McGee and Ziva think, i'm not fine" Kate replied in a sarcastic tone before sitting in the passenger seat of Tony's car.

The drive to Kate's house was awkward and silent, Tony not wanting to piss off a clearly very pissed off Kate even more and Kate not wanting to speak to Tony. Like half an hour earlier, Kate felt her eyes geting heavier and heavier in her head, and as much as she didn't ant to fall asleep again, especially in Tony's car, there was nothing she could do. Her head rested against the window as she fell into a much needed sleep.

After being asleep for a good 10 minutes, Tony pulled up to Kate's drive.

"Um, Kate" Tony whispered trying to wake her up. "Kate" Tony said a little louder, this time shaking her arm "KATE!" Tony shouted, this time successully waking his partner from her slumber. "We're here" his voice back to normal as Kate looked around sleepily.

"Oh...thanks" Kate shot Tony a half smile before getting out of his car and heading up her drive and into her house.

Kate huffed frustatedly as she looked upon her house. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath she leant against her front door, her head banging it slightly before she slid down the door and ended up sitting on the floor, her knee's pulled into her chest. Letting out a deep breath Kate looked at her home again. She hadn't had the time or energy to clean it in weeks. She was usually an organised person, her house was usually meticulous and nothing was out of place. She felt a lump form in her throat and her eyes fill with tears.

_No. No. Get yourself together, Kate. You're an NCIS agent. You used to protect the president for God's sake! You are stronger than this. Get up and get it together!_

Kate closed her eyes again, taking in another deep breath before standing up and composing herself. Quickly she wiped away the few tears that had escaped her eyes, hung up her coat and bag and began to clean her house.

_**Hope you liked it. Please review! What do you think Kate's secret is? Let me know! Thank you.**_


	2. Chapter 2

The next day came far too quick for Kate. Yet again, she had had another sleepless night and was now even tireder than she was the day before - which she didn't think was humanly possible. The bags under her eyes were now so dark and heavy that it looked like she had two black eyes. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, she almost didn't recognise the woman staring back at her. The woman staring back looked at least 10 years older than her... and not to mention she looked weak and defensless which Kate certainly was not. Splashing some freezing water on her face to try and wake her up a bit before she frustratedly ran her hands over her face. That action was becoming more and more of a regular occurence for her.

It wasn't until she was already in the car and halfway to work that she realised she had odd shoes on and it was too late to go back and change. After all, she couldn't be late. Not again. She hoped to God Tony wouldn't notice, if anyone were to tease her about it, it would be him. Abby would praise her and think she was making some sort of bold fashion statement - Helena Bonham Carter style, McGee would most likely notice but woldn't say anything in fear of her retaliating, Ziva would notice but hopflly wouldn't say anything, although, the way she snapped at her yesterday she wouldn't blame her if Ziva teased her about it and Tony either woldn't notice because he is totally oblivious to women or he would notice and she wouldn't hear the end of it. She tried not to think about it in hopes that if she didn't dwell on it or make some sort of deal about it that nobody would notice. Befor she knew it she had reached work and she pulled into her usual parking spot and headed inside. She was surprised to find the bull pen was empty, not just her team but there wasn't one agent in the room. She looked down at her watch. 7:07am. She wasn't early, 7 minutes late actually. Where was everybody?

"Agent Todd" a voice called from above.

Not recognising the voice Kate looked up.

"You're late Agent Todd"

"Late for what?" Kate asked.

"The interagency meeting. Did you not get the memo?"

"No, I didn't"

_I have Tony to thank for that, always messing with my emails and PDA!_

Kate made her way up the stairs and followed the agent to one of the many rooms. Sh was thankful nobody noticed she was late as all the agents in the building were crammed into one room and the majority of them were lined up along the hallway. Kate quickly found Abby and decided to join her. She knew Abby wouldn't be one to tell Gibbs Kate had turned up the the meeting 10 minutes late.

"What's going on Abbs?" Kate whispered.

"Something about budget cuts. Apparently half the agents from the FBI have already been let go and we're next!"

Kate's heart sank. She needed this job, now more so than ever. It's not like she was last in, first to go but her behaviour the past two weeks would certainly be a reason for her to be one of the first people to get fired. Abby picked up the look of worry on her bestfriends face.

"Don't worry, Kate. We're Team Gibbs. We have nothing to worry is no way in hell he will let anything happen to us...and besides, you're one of the best agents. There's no way you're going to get fired" Abby shot her a smile.

Kate knew Abby was right on some level, Gibbs wouldn't let anything happen to any of his team members. The meeting was shortly over and Kate headed back to her desk. It was only 7:30am, she had only been in work 20 minutes but she was already starting to feel tired. Before she could start on the paperwork she missed out on yesterday, a shadow and the smell of strong coffee loomed over her. Gibbs.

"Feeling better today?" he asked, placing a cup coffee down on her desk, sliding it closer to her and shooting her a look letting her know it was actually for her.

"Much" Kate lied, taking a sip of the coffee and trying not to spit the disgustingly strong, bitter, brown liquid all over the silver haired man in front of her.

"Good" was al Gibbs said before Tony came running up to him, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"So boss, can I? Can I go? Pleaseee?" Tony asked, showing the same level of excitement as a child would on Christmas morning.

"Go where?" Kate asked, confused due to the fact she had missed a whole day of work yesterday.

"Puerto Rico" Tony's smile grew bigger and bigger.

"Actually, I was thinking of sending Kate and Ziva" Gibbs stated, silently enjoying the devesated look on Tony's face.

"To Puerto Rico?" Kate repeted.

"No, to the moon!" Gibbs replied flatly.

"Maybe Tony should go" Kate cleared her throat. Four sets of eyes landed on her as Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee were all looking at her as if she had just shot Gibbs or something. "I mean, I'm not caught up on the case like he is" Kate quickly added.

"Well then, get caught up" Gibbs spat.

"Gibbs, I really do think that it's best for everyone and the case if Tony goes. Plus, I mean, it's not like he can pull any of the crap he did last time. Ziva will be with him"

"Kate, you're going. And that's final! The plane leaves at 12pm sharpo you had better go home and get your things" Gibbs spat before walking off.

With a frustrated huff Kate sat back in her chair. She couldn't just up and take off to Puerto Rico. Yes, it was her job but she had other things to think about now.

"Shall I catch you in on the plane?" Ziva asked.

"You're going to have to" Kate replied dryly before grabbing her keys and heading back to her car.

"What's gotten onto her lately?" Ziva scoffed as Kate walked away.

"It's _into _Ziva" Tony corrected "And I don't think anyone has gotten onto her lately...or into for that matter" A blinding pain from Gibbs slapping the back of his head at the last comment made Tony immediatley regret saying it aloud. "Sorry boss".

"Aren't you going home and getting your stuff, Ziva?" McGee asked, wondering why the Isralei was still sat at her desk.

"I do not wish to bump into Kate while she is still in a foul mood" Ziva replied.

"Probably for the best" McGee replied, neither of them had noticed Tony was no longer at his desk.

"...Okay, thanks again Rach. I owe you big time" Kate quickly hung up the phone as she saw Tony walking towars her in the parking lot. "What?" she snapped at Tony.

"Seriously Kate, what's wrong with you? You're really starting to worry everyone!" Tony said, half breathlessly as he had ran in hopes he would catch her in time.

The fact that he had ran to catch her wasn't lost on Kate. Neither was the fact that he had genuine concern for her in his voice.

"Why does something always have to be wrong with me, Tony?!" Kate rolled her eyes.

"Because, something clearly is, Kate. You're tired all the time, you look like hell, you call in sick at weekends, you're always late and cut out early...oh and not to mention you're snapping at everyone. Do you need me to go on?"

"Well, thanks for the concern Tony, but it's realy not needed. I am fine!"

"You do know I can tell when you're lying, right?" Tony leaned on her car door, trapping her.

"Move Tony. I have to go home and get my things!" Kate growled.

"No. Not until you tell me what is wrong" Tony folded his arms over his chest and anchoring his feet.

"Right now, it's you!" Kate growled again. "Move!" She repeated.

"No"

Not having the enery to argue wth him, or to physically move him Kate stormed off.

"Where are you going?" Tony called after her.

"Home!" was Kate's response before she dissapeared behind the doors of the exit.

She was glad there was already a taxi outside as she quickly got inside and didn't have to deal with Tony's annoyance. Her phone rang as they pulled out of the yard.

"Todd" Kate answered.

"What's this I hear about you going to Puerto Rico?! Just up and jetting off after two weeks?! Oh, real nice Kate! You know, I have half a mind to-" Kate hung up the phone. She had been listening to him say nasty and spiteful things to and about her for two weeks and she certainly wasn't in the mood to hear him say them right now. After declining about three more of his calls Kate opted to turn her phone off. It was her personal mobile and if Gibbs or anyone needed her they could reach her on her work mobile.

After the taxi pulled up on Kate's drive, she asked if he would wait for her and she would pay him double the amount, naturally the taxi driver obliged. She was extra thankful that she didn't put her suitcase away properly the last time as she didn't have the energy to fish it off the top of her wardrobe, she was also thankful that it was already half packed. After throwing some more clothes into the case and not even bothering to fold them neatly, Kate grabbed the photo off her bedside table. After looking at the photo for a few moments, guilt and anger bulding each second, Kate threw it into her case and headed back out to the taxi.

Normally, she would head back to the office but right now, she had somewhere else to be. Somewhere much more important. Kate gave the address to the taxi driver and decided that as it was a twenty minute drive, maybe even half an hour depending on the traffic and the drivers route that she would try and get some much deserved sleep. Even if it was only for twenty minutes. As soon as Kate closed her eyes, she fell asleep - although, it wasn't much of a sleep as she had far too much on her mind.

**Thanks for the reviews/follows/favourites guys, please keep them coming! What did you think of the chapter? Is Kate's secret more obvious? Let me know what you think!:-)**


	3. Chapter 3

It felt more like a blink than a nap when the taxi pulled outside the building. Again, Kate asked the driver to stay and wait for her while she went inside. In an attempt to make herself look half presentable, Kate quickly tried to mask the black under her eyes with concelar before heading in.

"Miss Todd? You're early, can I help you?" a young woman asked from behind a desk.

"No thank you Claire, I just need to see Amelia and Lilly and then i'll be out of our hair" Kate shot the secretary her sweetest smile before heading into one of the rooms.

Kate scanned the room looking for the two brown haired people she needed to se before she had to go to Puerto Rico.

"Mamma!" a child no more than six ran up to Kate, wrapping her arms around Kate's leg.

"Hey baby" Kate smiled. "Where's Lilly?"

"She's playing in the water with Beth" the minature Kate smiled a toothless smile.

"Shall we go and get her? I need to tell you guys something" Kate took the little girls hand as she lead her to the other room where her sister was playing.

"Mommy!" the other little girl squealed excitedly at Kate as she ran over.

"Hey sweetie" Kate smiled, twirling one of the childs pigtails inbetween her fingers. "I need to speak to you two about something"

Kate and the twins headed out into the hallway where Kate could tell them she was leaving in quiet.

"Now I don't want you to get upset but I have to go away for a few days" Kate started, the look on her daughters' faces breaking her heart.

"Again?" one of the six year olds asked, her blue eyes full to the brim with tears.

"Yes, but only for a few days. I promise! Auntie Rachel is going to come and look after you while i'm gone. You love Auntie Rachel" Kate tried her best to smile.

"I don't want you to go"

"Me either"

"I don't want to go either" a tear rolled down Kate's cheek. "...but I have to, and it's only for a few days. I promise"

The shrill ringing of Kate's phone rang out and Kate debated on ignoring it, but after the third time she thought it best to answer it. It was Gibbs phoning her after all.

"Kate, where are you?!" he growled from the other side of the phone call.

"I have to do something and then i'll be at work as soon as i've done it" Kate replied.

"Not good enough Kate! Get here within the next 10 minutes or-"

"-Look, i'll be back for 12 but right now, what i'm doing is more important than work" Kate raised her voice slightly.

"Dammit Kate, you get here within the next-"

She knew she would be in deep trouble but like she said, what she was doing now was more important than work and she hung up on Gibbs and turned back to the two girls, who were now holding hands.

"Look babies, Mommy's really sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I promise you it's only for a few days"

"You always say you will see us soon but you don't" one of the girls cried.

Kate closed her eyes and bit her lip. Her heart coudn't take much more guilt. She took her watch off and handed it to the girls.

"You see this right here?" Kate pointed to the date settings on her watch. "When that gets to 15, then I will be home, okay?"

It being the 10th today gave Kate lots of time, they were hardly ever gone that long and even if they weren't finished in Puerto Rico, she would be on the first plane home by the 15th.

"You promise?" one of the girls sniffled.

"Pinky!" Kate stuck out her pinky for the girls to link theres too. "Now, you have to be really good for Auntie Rach when i'm gone!" The tears began falling from Kate's eyes once again as she pulled her daughters into an embrace.

"I gonna miss you, mommy" one of the girls cried.

"Me too" the other agreed.

"I'm going to miss you both so much!" Kate sniffled. "I love you so much!"

After an emotional good bye Kate headed back to the taxi, still crying.

"Are you okay, miss?" the middle eastern man asked.

"I will be, thank you. Can you take me back to the Navy Yard?"

"Sure thing"

It was aout a 30 minute ride back to the yard so like before, Kate thought it best to bet some sleep. She had spent more time with the girls than she had originally planned and it was 11.45 before Kate finally made it back to the yard. As if she wasn't in enough trouble with Gibbs!

"11.45? You're gonna be in trouble" Tony teased Kate in a sing-song voice.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked, ignoring his original comment.

"Gibbs finally gave in and let me go. He said you and Ziva could probably use the help...plus, he wasn't going to let you be senior field agent in a foreign country with the way you've been behaving"

Kate didn't respond, she just huffed frustratedly and rolled her eyes. Ziva was already on the plane and Tony had hung back for Kate. Kate struggled to get her suitcase down the stairs, she was about to throw it down when Tony picked it up with one hand (his own overpacked suitcase in his other hand) and carried it down the stairs.

"Thank you"

Kate wasn't sure if it was a sincere gesture or something else but either way, she was grateful for the help. As she went to grab her suitcase back off Tony, as now all they had to do was walk out of some doors and acrs the tarmac to the jet, he pushed her away.

"I've got it" he told her.

"Tony, i'm not a child. I can carry my own case!"

"You may not be a child, Kate, but I am a gentleman, so let me carry your case"

"Gentleman? Since when?" Kate scoffed.

"Since I watched you struggle with this case since you walked into the navy yard...anyway, you can thank me later, I hear there's only a double room and a single room"

Tony's last comment recieved a rather sharp elbow to the ribs off Kate before she go on the plane, leaving Tony to deal with their cases. Kate took a seat at the back of the plane, where she hoped she would be away from Tony and Ziva. Right now she just wanted to be alone. She was stressed, tired, guilty and heartbroken. She hadn't had time to process her feelings. She didn't really know if she wanted to process them.

"I copied all my notes on the case and added some more for you" Ziva handed Kate a file. "I didn't think you'd want to hear me talking for three hours so I figured this would be the best thing"

"Thanks" Kate shot Ziva a sincere smile, this was th first time she had actually been nice to the woman all week.

Ziva headed back to her seat near the front of the plane and Kate opend the file Ziva had made for her. She figured if she read this now, she'd have about two hours to try and catch up on some more sleep. She was glad when Tony chose to sit with Ziva rather than her for this flight, being stuck in an aeroplane fo three hours with Tony was bad enough on a normal day!

**Hope you guys liked it! Did you see it coming? The whole situation will be explained later on in the story! Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming because thats how I know people are actually reading this story haha. Anyway, let me know what you think:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so i've had real trouble writing this chapter. I wrote it about three times and deleted it because I didn't like it, so bare with me on this chapter! I figured you guys had waited long enough for an update and seeing as i'm ill I thought i'd try and write it again! Hope you enjoy it.**

The journey to Puerto Rico had been a long and stressful one. They had only been in the air 10 mintes before Tony and Ziva started bickering, Tony taking his boredom out on Ziva by being as annoying as he could, which in turn meant Kate could not focus on the task at hand of catching up on the case. Once they had landed they headed to the house they were stationed in. The car ride was a long one, nearly 2 hours from the airport and Tony was still in his annoying mood. The heat and the fact she hadn't slept in months made Kate even more annoyed with Tony and when Ziva threatned to 'show him what they did to annoying agents in Mossad', Kate was extra grateful. They pulled up at the house, the three of them now in foul moods and headed inside. Ziva was the first in, followed by Tony and then Kate. Tony stopped dead in his tracks resulting Kate walking into him.

"Dammit, Tony!" Kate growled. "Move!"

"S-sorry" Tony stuttered before quickly walking and throwing his bag down on the sofa.

Kate folowed Tony's eyeline and saw a lizard perched on one f the shelves. A smie etched it's way onto her face as she remembered the time Tony screamed like a girl at the sight of one. Her and Gibbs came running into his room thinking he was in trouble only to find him stark naked, pointing his gun at a lizard.

"You're going to want to lock your door tonight Tony or you may be getting a visit from our scaley friend on the wall" Kate teased, shooting Tony a playful wink.

"There's only two bedrooms and one bathroom" Ziva appeared from the hallway.

The three of them stood still eyeing eachother for a second. None of them wanted to sleep on the couch. Tony was the first to move, and the three of them ran all trying to get a bedroom. Ziva was the first to claim a bedroom and she smiled smugly as she closed the door behind her. As Kate reached for the doorknob of the last remaning room Tony pushed past her, nearly knocking her off her feet as he did, and jumped into the room, claiming it as his own.

"Oh, c'mon DiNozzo!" Kate huffed.

"You snooze you loose, Kate" Tony flashed Kate a cheeky smile.

"Tony, I should have the bed. I'm a girl, the decent, gentlemanly thing to do would be to take the couch!"

"Well Kate, you made it pretty clear I wasn't a gentleman and you're in a mans job, I've lost count of how many times you have made a point of how you're equal to men so...sleep tight" Tony smiled and shut the door.

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath in as she headed to the sofa. Just what she needed, more sleepless nights. Annoyed with Tony, she picked his bag up and headed back to his room, throwing the ag at Tony before heading back to the sofa. They had decided that they were going to freshen up before heading back out to work. Kate decided as she was the only one not in a bed she was going to take a shower first, and that the 10 minute limit was out the window. Kate grabbed her toiletries and a change of clothes out of her case and headed to the bathroom, shooting Tony who was extitng his room, one of the death stares. Kate slammed the bathroom door behind her and was over the moon there was lock on the door, the last thing she wanted was Tony coming in and using the bathrom while she was in the shower again, that certainly was outrageous! Kate placed her belongings down on the toilet before lookng at herself in the mirror.

_Oh great! Not only do I have the worlds biggest bags under my eyes now I have an afro too! Just what I need!...Pull yourself together Kate!_

Kate started to run her bath, despite the fact she thought she was going to die from the heat she made sure the water was piping hot. As the steam started to fill the room Kate took off her clothes and jumped into the tub, flinching at first as the boiling water hit her skin, but eventually getting used to it. She closed her eyes as her head hit the back of the tub. Finally she was getting some peace and quiet, she was going to use this time to try and relaxbut all she could picture was the heartbroken faces of Amelia and Lilly as she left them earlier today. Taking a deep breath and pinching her nose, Kate submerged herself so she was completeley under the water, whether she was trying to rid herself of that image or what, she didn't know. She opened her eyes, still under the water and only re-emmerged when she needed air. Kate ran her hands through her soaking wet hair and once again, closed her eyes and lay back.

"TONY!" Ziva snapped as Tony was rooting through Kate's case.

"What?"

"Leave Kate's things alone!" Ziva scolded him.

"I was just seeing if she has anything interesting in here"

Ziva slapped Tony's hand away. Tony huffed and looked down at his watch. Realising Kate had been in the bathroom for nearly fourty minutes, Tony got off the couch and headed for the bathroom.

"C'mon Kate. It's bee fourty minutes. Hurry up!" Tony banged on the door.

He knew Kate could hear him and yet, there was no answer.

"Kate!" Tony banged on the door louder. "Jesus Kate, open up!" Tony's banging got more and more frantic which had now alerted Ziva.

Usually when he would try and hurry Kate up in the bathroom she would at least answer him, sure it was probably an angry insult but it was still an answer.

"Dammit, Kate! Open up or i'm coming in!" He figured his last comment would get her attention and still, nothing. No reply. "Fine, i'm coming in!"

With a swift kick, the door flew off it's hinges and into the bathroom. Tony's eys darted to the tub where Kate was under the water.

"KATE?!" Tony's eyes widened.

His mind immediatley went to the worst case scenario. He ran over to the tub and grabbed Kate by her soulders, pulling her upright. By now, Ziva had come running into the bathroom, stood frozen, wide eyed at the sight of Tony pulling Kate out of the tub.

"What are you doing, DiNozzo?!" Kate snapped, pushing Tony off her and grabbing a towel quickly to cover her naked body.

"I thought...I thought you were...I saved you!" Tony defended his actions. "You had been in here for fourty minutes and you weren't answering me and then I find you under the water! What do you think I was doing!"

"I must have fallen asleep-"

"-Yeah, and if I had left it any longer you probably would have drowned! A _thank you_ wouldn't kill you, Kate!"

"I think the fact you saw me naked is all the thanks you need, Tony!" Kate spat, grabbing her spare set of clothes and pushing past Tony.

"I was too busy saving your life to look!" Tony shot back before Kate slammed Ziva's bedroom door shut to get changed.

As soon as she snapped at Tony, she immediatley regreted it. He did afterall just save her life. Although, for the life of her, she couldn't work out wh she didn't wake up from her sleep as soon as she fell under the water...or how she managed to so something as stupid a falling asleep in the bath in the first place. When she exited Ziva's room she noticed Tony was in the shower and Ziva was busy in the kitchen on the phone to someone, most probably Gibbs telling him all about what had just happened. She took this opportunity to phone home. By now, daycare would be finished and the twins would be at home with Rachel, most probably awaiting her call. Kate headed over to her bag, took out her phone and headed outside. Kate found herself pacing back and forth around the house as she waited for them to answer.

"Hellow?" a child voice answered from the other end of the line.

"Hey baby!" Kate smiled.

"Mamma!"

"How are you guys doing?" Kate asked, now leaning against the side of the house.

"We miss you mama! But Auntie Rach said you be home soon!"

"That's right, and as soon as I am we're going to spend lots of time together, I promise!"

Tony was scrubbing himself extra hard out of anger when he heard muffled speaking outside the window. Tony being Tony thought it would be either Kate or Ziva making a private call. He shut off the shower and headed to the window, opening it ever so slightly so he could hear he coversation more clearly. A smile crept onto his face as he recognised the voice as Kates. If she was having sneaky phone sex, he was going to use this against her for years to come.

"Have you been a good girl?"

Tony's eyes widened and a smutty grin appeared on his face. Girl? He was almost certain Kate was on a kinky phonecall, but why was she haveing phone sex with a girl. Within seconds Tony's mind was filled with images of Kate and another woman.

"...Okay, i'll be home soon, and remember what I said? When i'm home we'll spend lots of time together, just you and me!...I miss you too baby, remember, be a good girl until I get home. Okay, I love you too. Bye baby"

Karma certainly was a bitch. And Tony overhearing Kate's kinky conversation with a girl was payback for her snapping at him for saving her life. The foul mood he was in was now long gone as he had a smile on his face, a bounce in his step and images of Kate and another woman in his head.

_Oh Caitlin Todd, you saucy little minx! You come off as this wholesome, Catholic woman and really, you've got this dirty little secret. Oh this is my day!_

Tony thought to himself as he made his way to his bedroom.

As soon as the call disconnected, Kate's heart broke once again. The fact that they sounded happy with Rachel made it easier but still, being away from her children was heartbreaking. Even though she was used to it, it still tore her heart to shreads. She bit her lip and put her phone in her back pocket and headed back inside.

"Kate, I do not know what is going on with you lately but what I do know is that you are tired and youare more than welcome to have my bed" Ziva smiled as Kate walked back into th house.

"No, I coudn't do that to you. I'll be fine in the couch" Kate flashed Ziva fake smile.

"I would not wish _that _on my worst enemy, Kate. You can share my bed"

Ziva looked over at the disgusting, grotty couch and s shiver rolled down her body at the site of it. Tony had picked the right moment to walk out of his room.

"I'm sure Kate would like that!" Tony said in a smutty voice, his head over loading with images of Kate and Ziva.

"You're a pig!" Kate spat throwing one of the grotty couch cushions at Tony, smiling when it hit him in the face.

"Thank you" Kate smiled at Ziva

Ziva made her way to the bathroom, elbowing Tony in the ribs as she walked past him.

"I'm erm...sorry for snapping at you before" Kate apologized.

"You should be"

Kate sat back down at the table, going over the file once again as Tony slipped through the TV channels getting frustrated that the picture was terrible and there were hardly any in English. This was one of the times he was extra grateful for his dirty mind as he decided that thinking about the kinky phone call he had overheard and the fact his two female collegues - who were both hot, would be sharing a bed tonight would be far more entertaining than any TV show.

**Hope you liked it! Like I said before, i've had real trouble with this chapter so I apologise for how crap it is! And I also apologise for how long** **it took me to update, i've been really busy with starting college and I just couldn't write it. I tried to add more Tate to this chapter, and don't worry, I think you guys are going to really like what I have in store for them!...So, Tony thinks Kate was having a kinky conversation with a woman, will he use what he thinks he knows to his advantage? Let me know what you think! Peace out.**


	5. Chapter 5

"ZIVA BE QUIET!" Kate growled, shoving her sleeping co-worker. The noises coming from her resembled the noise a Walrus would ake it it wresled a bear. "ZIVA!" Kate pulled her pillow over her head. She had forgotten just how loud the other agent snored. "ZIVA!" Kate snapped once more, shoving the sleeping Isralei and reciving a hand to the face.

Kate took her pillow and headed out to the living room, the grotty couch seemed like heaven compared to sharing a bed with Ziva, who snored louder than a drunken sailor and moved more than a five year old on a sugar rush - she was worse than the twins put together. ighing, Kate took one last look at the dingy sofa before she lay down on it, springs digging into her and a smell worse than DiNozzo's armpit invading her nostrils. Kate huffed trying to find a comfortable position, tossing and turning the way Ziva had been all night. By now, she was used to sleepless nights and sharing a bed with people who tossed and turned all night, she however was not used to the repercussions of her tiredness.

Once they were all freshened up, the three of them headed out and, much to Tony's pleasure, they just so happened to nd up hopping from one bar to another flashing the young woman who's body they found a few days ago. They didn't get in till nearly 2am and headed straight to bed. Fourty minutes later, Kate found herself tossing and turining on the sofa hoping to get at least a few hours sleep. No luck.

Not wanting a repeat of what happened earlier today, Kate headed for Tony's room. Silently cursing herself and immediatley regretting it as soon as she knocked on his door.

Tony lay in bed, half asleep when he heard the knocking on his door. It was faint but it certainly was somebody knocking.

"Come in" he said sleepily.

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath before entering Tony's room.

"Kate?" Tony said in a teasing, seductive tone. "What are you doing in here in the middle of the night?"

"NOT that!" Kate raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Can I...erm...Can I sleep with you" Kate's eyes widened as she realised what she had said, Tony let out a dirty laugh. "Thats not what I meant...I mean can I spend the night in your bed?" _Just digging yourself a bigger hole here Kate, should have just stayed on the sofa! _Kate cursed herself. By now, Tony's eyebrows were in his hairline. He knew what Kate meant, he had been undercover with Ziva, but it was still fun watching the normally composed woman who used big fancy words get all embarrassed and flustered because of her choice of words.

"Really, never thought i'd see the day that my doorknob would turn in the middle of the night and find Caitlin Todd wanting to spend the night in my bed" Tony teased.

"Ugh, forget it!" Kate huffed. "It's not like i'm not used to sleepless nights!" Kate rolled her eyes and huffed under her breath.

"I'm sure you're not!" Tony quipped in a dirty tone, laughing dirtily to himself.

"Good night, DiNozzo" Kate opened Tony's bedroom door.

"Fine, i'm sorry!" Tony said in a serious voice, causing Kate to turn back around and face him. "I suppose it's the least I can do seeing as how I _stole _this room from you. Plus, I can hear our very own ninja assassin snoring from here" Tony flashed Kate an honest smile.

"Thanks" Kate smiled back. "...what are you doing?"

Kate scrunched her face together, watching as Tony put a line of pillows down the middle of the bed.

"This is to protect me" Tony said, his voice returning to a joke like tone. "I don't want you try any funny buisness with me tonight, Miss Todd"

Kate climbed into the opposite side of the bed, punching Tony in his arm for his last comment. Tony watched from the corner of his eye as Kate got comfortable in bed. He had seen her in her pyjama's before, but there was something about the way the moonlight hit her bare legs, it was worth getting caught staring at them and even in her gray, baggy NCIS t-shirt, no make-up and her bed hair which was made even worse by the humidity, she still looked beautiful.

"TONY!" Kate spat, pulling him from his daydreams of her bare legs.

"What?" Tony asked, unaware of why Kate was shouting at him. Did she catch him staring at her?

"What is that digging into my hip, because if it's your you-know-what i'll break it off and shov-"

"Relax Kate, it was my gun" Tony moved his gun to under his pillow. He really didn't want to hear the end of that sentence.

"Oh"

The pair settled down and tried to get to sleep, the bed was barely big enough to qualify as a single bed - Ziva had gotten the double and took up the whole of it. Kate could feel Tony's breath on her neck. Her mind wandered to the past few weeks, Tony had really been there for her, or a least tried to be anyway and he seemed genuinley concerned for her. It was a shock to her that he hadn't pressed her to tell him what was wrong, not like he would have done years ago, this time he wanted to know because he was genuinley concerned for her and wanted to help her and be there for her. She had really grown to respect him more these past few weeks.

"Thank you" Kate whispered after about five minutes of silence.

"For what?" Tony asked.

"For everything, today...for offering to carry my suitcase, for saving my life, for letting me sleep here tonight. I really appreciate it Tony"

"It's noting" Tony brushed it off, he liked carrying Kate's bags for her, opening doors for her. Being a gentleman for her. And he wasn't going to lie, he did like having her in his bed too.

"And i'm sorry for snapping at you so much lately, especiall today after the um, y'know, you saving my life" Kate's tone had gone quieter.

"Kate, it's fine honest. I know you've been going through something lately and i'm just worried about you"

"Dont be" Kate's tone wasn't harsh.

"I can't not be, Kate. I mean, put yourself in my shoes, if I was doing what you're doing, you'd be worried too. You're my partner Kate and I don't want anything happening to you on or off the job!"

"I know you're worried, Tony. I know you all are but hopefully you won't be soon"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'm tired, just forget I said anything"

"Fine...night Kate"

"Night Tony"

Kate was the first to fall asleep, she tossed and turned abit before she found a postion that was comfortable. She had turned to lie the sam way as Tony and her arm had draped over him. Tony didn't know what to make of it at first, he didn't want to wake her up when she clearly needed sleep and if she woke up he would recieve an elbow to the ribs and then things would be awkward. After a few moments, Tony realised that for some reason, he didn't mind having Cailtin Todd's arm wrapped around him and so, he just left it there and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't long before a sleeping Kate pulled a sleeping Tony closer to her, her front touching his back, her head more or less nuzzled into his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his torso, his arm on top of hers pulling her closer. They were by defenition, spooning.

It was the best nights sleep either of them had ever gotten.

**Hope you liked it! I know that chapter was sort but i've had the words in my head ever since I finished the last chapter and wanted to get them down before I forgot them. Was that Tate-y enough for you?;-) Let me know what you think, please keep the reviews coming. They really mean a lot to me and give me motivation to keep going!  
Also, have you guys seen the season premier yet? OMG! I'm having both major Tate and Tiva feels at the moment. Oh, the life of a fangirl. It certainly isn't an easy one!**


	6. Chapter 6

Tony was the first one up, and it took him a while to remember why Kate was in his bed. He hadn't eve realised she had been spooning him and that they were holding hands. Tony looked over at Kate and couldn't help but smile. The way the sunlight hit her, she looked heavenly. Beautiful. Really beautiful. She was sleeping so peacefully Tony choose not to wake her. He pulled the duvet back over Kate and moved a stray lock of her silky brown hair from her face without even realising what he was doing.

He could still hear Ziva's snoring and decided that he would make some breakfast. He was in a nice mod. A _really _nice mood, and he had no idea why. He was whistling a happy tune and flipping a pancake when Ziva entered the kitchen.

"Where is Kate?" Ziva asked, heading to the coffee machine.

"She's still asleep" Tony smiled.

Ziva raised an eyebrow at him as she sipped her coffee.

"Have you heard yourself snore Ziva? You sound like a drunken sailor! And not to mention you take up the whole bed!" Tony handed her a plate full of pancakes.

Ziva said nothing and jut ate her breakfast in silence. It was 8 and Kate still wasn't awake, and yet neither Tony nor Ziva could bring themselves to wake her. She looked so peaceful and for the first time in weeks she was asleep, and had a giant, dimple-clad smile on her face. So, they decided to leave her. They had to check in with Gibbs first wich would take near enough an hour and by the time they were finished, she could catch up with them in one of the bars.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked impatietly, she didn't want to be late for their video conference with Gibbs.

"I'm just leaving Kate a note" a smile crept onto Tony's mouth as he said her name.

Tony and Ziva headed out and about fourty minutes later Kate woke up. She climbed out of Tony's bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She hadn't slept that well in weeks. In fact, she didn't think she had ever slept that well in her life.

"Tony?...Ziva?" Kate asked, looking around the empty house. It was only when she entered the kitchen when she saw the folded piece of paper with her name on it.

_Didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful and to be honest, you needed the sleep. Me and Ziva have gone to the video call with Gibbs - don't worry, we'll cover for you. You can catch up with us in one of the bars. There is breakfast for you in the fridge. Tony. _

Kate placed the note back down on the table and headed to the fridge and smiled at the sight of the pancakes. She took them out the fridge and placed them in the microwave, which looked older than her and once they had warmed up she ate them and got ready for work. She took her bag into Tony's room and took out the tshirt and pants she was going to wear today and placed them on the bed before getting ready and heading out.

After finding out what bar to meet Tony and Ziva in, Kate headed off on foot down the road. Se was glad the bar was only a five minute walk from where they were staying.

"What is this place?" Ziva asked, looking around the room wide eyed.

"It's a gaybar Ziva" Kate laughed.

"A lesbian bar! Kate's favourite!" Tony's face lit up as he walked towards the bar to ask the bartender if they knew the victim. "Do you know this woman?" Tony asked, holding up the photo.

Kate brushed off Tony's comment, guessing he was just looking to wind her up and followed him to the bar.

"What brings you here, pretty lady?" a slurred voice asked.

"Excuse me?" Kate asked, turning around.

"Can I get you a drink?" the woman asked again, this time traing her fingers up and down Kate's arm.

"No, thank you" Kate replied, turning back around.

"Aw, come on sweet cheeks. Mama needs some loving" the woman grabbed Kate, causing her to turn around and put the drunken woman in a lock. This got Tony and Ziva's attention. "Oh, you're strong and beautiful. Just like my ex" the woman slurred again.

"I am a federal agent for NCIS, and the way you have just grabbed me, that's assault!" Kate spat.

"Wait, NCIS? As in Navy?" The woman asked.

"Yes"

"Are you here about Petty Officer Julie Quinn?"

The three agents eyes widened and Kate losened her grip on the woman.

"Is this the woman you are talking about?" Tony asked, showing the woman the photo.

"Yes...what, what happened to her?"

"We don't know. Thats what we're trying to find out" Kate said, completely letting go of the woman, who seemed to be heartbroken.

"You mean...shes dead? Julie is dead?" The drunken woman threw her arms around Kate and started crying hysterically.

"Can we get a water please?" Tony asked the bar tender, pointing to the woman.

(-)

Once the woman had sobered up and stopped crying she had told them - well, she had only told Kate, that her name was Ellen and that Petty Officer Julie Quinn was her girlfriend. By the time she had sobered up, Gibbs had already flown out and was now in the interview room with her.

"You seemed right at home in that bar" Tony smirked.

"Shut up, Tony" Kate growled.

"All I am saying is you got a lot of attention in there"

"Jealous, are you?"

"Me? Jealous? No way!" Tony laughed.

"I said i'm not saying anything until that pretty lady agent is here" The woman said on the other side of the glass.

"Looks like your girlfriend wants more" Tony smirked again, only to recieve an elbow to the ribs.

Gibbs looked to the glass signaling Kate to come into the room. Kate shot Tony one of her death stares before exiting the room. As soon as Kate entered the interview room, Ellen confessed everything she knew.

"You think she did it, Boss?" Tony asked as him Gibbs watched from the other side of the glass.

"Nope. But she knows more than she's letting on!" Gibbs spat back.

"Don't lie to me, Ellen!" Kate spat. "If you know what happened to Julie, you need to tell us!"

"Only if you agree to go to dinner with me" Ellen looked Kate up and down.

"Or I could just charge you for assault of a federal agent and withholding evidence!" Kate quipped back.

"Fine. Speak to Tommy O'Reilly"

"Who is Tommy O'Reilly?" Tony asked, reading the pissed look on Gibbs' face.

"He was her bestfriend. They lived together. We spoke to him yesterday and he failed to mention anything about the victim having a girlfriend" Gibbs replied.

After they had finshed the interview the team headed back to the house. Gibbs included. As soon as they got home, Kate whipped out her phone, headed outside and dialed her sisters number.

"Rach?"

"...Amelia, what did I tell you about putting peanut butter in your sisters shoes?!...Sorry Kate, how's everything going?" Rachel replied, sounding stressed.

"I should be home within the next few days. You sound...stressed. Are the girls playing up?"

"No, no really. They just didn't sleep at all last night and now they're over tired" Rachel huffed.

"It's been tough on them, moving back in with me. They aren't used to me but it helps if you put Dad's sweater on and let them fall asleep on you whilst you trace shapes and stuff on their arms"

Kate's heart broke. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears.

"Like mother, like daughters. Thats the only way you would sleep growing up. How are you dealing with, with everything?"

"As good as I can be, I suppose. I mean, it's hard and it breaks my heart but what else can I do?" Kate's eyes filled with tears once again. "Are the girls there?" Kate asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah sure...girls, mommy is on the phone"

"Hey mama!" Lilly smiled enthusiastically.

"Hey baby, how are you?" Kate smiled back.

"I fine, I miss you mama"

"I miss you too! re you being good for Auntie Rach?"

Kate leaned against the wall and slid down until she was crouched down on her knees.

"Where is Kate?" Gibbs asked, looking around the room for her.

"Probably on the phone to her girlfriend from the bar" Tony smirked, only to recieve one of Gibbs' death stares. "Right, uh, sorry Boss"

"...Alright. I'll see you in a few days. Mommy loves you too" Kate finished her call just as Gibbs stepped outside.

"Who was that?" Gibbs asked.

"My sister" Kate replied coldly, she was still pissed that he had forced her to come before she pushed past him and entered the house.

The phone call had left her heartbroken once again and she certainly wasn't in a good mood.

"Who do you keep sneaking off on the phone to?" Tony teased. "A secret lover? Oh, is it a woman. I bet it's a woman! Kate Todd you saucy-" Tony was cut off by a swift, hard elbow to the ribs.

Kate had put up with his childish comments all day and she was in no mood to rise above them now.

"Who I was on the phone to has nothing to do with you Tony, okay?!" Kate spat before heading to Tony's room and locking herself in there.

Tony had regretted winding her up now, one because she had elbowed him in the ribs and two, because he actually felt guilty that he had gotten to her _that _much. Usually she could take it and she'd retort something that would make him be quiet. He didn't know why he staretd to feel more and more guilty the more he teased Kate, but all the knew was he was going to make it up to her.

**Okay guys, I know this chapter was all over the place and was crap but it was hard to write, but don't worry, the next one is going to be filled with Tate. Yay! Lemme know what you think, please keep the reviews coming in, they mean a lot to me! Peace:]**


	7. Chapter 7

They had been back in America for three weeks and solved the case of murdered Petty Officer Julie Quinn three days after they returned, jealous ex-boyfriend, Tommy O'Reilly. Kate hadn't been to work in the past five days as both the twins had caught the flu and she needed to be home taking care of them. She had phoned the office saying she was ill but she would always work when she was ill, no matter what. She was still acting weird and Tony had had enough. He found himself stood outside her front door at 7pm on a Tuesday evening. Kate lay on the sofa, the twins asleep either side of her, the three of them sharing a pink, fluffy blanket. Kate was half asleep when banging and a muffled male voice awoke her.

"Kate, open up. I can hear the TV. I know you're in there" Tony shouted after five minutes of banging on her door. He remembered last time he was in this situation and just as he was about to knock her door down Kate opened it, only slightly and she popped her head through the gap.

"Geez Tony, what do you want?" Kate spat.

"I'm coming to check on you"

"I don't need checking on!"

"Well, considering the way you've been acting lately and then the whole bath situation in Puerto Rico, I think you do!"

"I'm fine" Kate tried closing the door, Tony puting his hand out in front of him to stop it closing.

"Kate please, i'm worried about you. This has been going on for far too long. You're my partner-"

"-Now is not the time, Tony. I am fine, I have the flu and i'll be back as soon as I feel up to it"

"The flu? That'll explain why you look like crap"

Kate slammed the door in Tonys face before heading back to the sofa, her daughters still sound asleep and she picked them up and carried them to the spare room they were saying inand placed them in the double bed. Kate made a metal note that as soon as they were feeling better they would re-decorate the room and make it more child appropriate. Kate plodded through back into her own room, she was exhausted. She had been on her feet all day, tidying her home and tending to the every need of not one, but two ill six year olds. With a sigh Kate collapsed onto her bed and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. She was thankful that both the flu and flu medicine made the girls drowsy and they slept right through the night.

The next day the girls were feeling slightly better and Kate decided that she would take another day off to make sure they were okay.

"You two feel up for breakfast this morning?" Kate asked.

"Can I have toast and jam?" Lilly smiled.

"Sure thing baby girl, what do you want Amelia?" Kate smiled.

"Coco Pops!" Amelia flashed a toothless smile.

As much as Kate hated feeding her children crappy food, she was just happy that they were now eating and seemed much more happy and settled. After breakfast, Kate ran the girls a bath and then snuggled on the sofa with them, the twins falling asleep on Kate like they had for the past five days. The banging on the door caused the twins to stir in their sleep and Kate headed to answer it.

"Look Tony-" Kate's eyes widened in shock as she saw someone else on the other side. "What are _you _doing here?!" Kate spat, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

"What do you think i'm doing?!"

"I don't know, thats why I asked you!"

"For someone who used to protect the president and now does detective work fora living, you're really not all that bright!" the man spat back in a spiteful tone.

"Yeah, you forget I carry a gun and can kill you with my bare hands and not leave a trace!" Kate retorted, narrowing her eyes at the unwanted man on her doorstep.

"Keep the threats coming Caitlin, they're really going to help me in court!" the man smiled smugly.

"You can fight me all you want, Jimmy but you're not going to win. You ditched me as soon as I told you I was pregnant and you refused to let me put your name on their birth certificates! Not to mention that you don't even know the names of your daughters', their birthday or even how old they are because you have never seen them or even aknowledged you had anything to do with them until you found out that now my parents couldn't look after them that you'd be getting money off me to look after them every month!" Kate spat back. "Get the hell off my doorstep and get the hell out of my life!" Kate snarled before entering her home and slaming her front door behind her.

"Who was that mama?" Lilly asked as she stood in the hall.

"Nobody baby. Is Amelia still sleeping?"

"Yeah, can I have some icecream? My throat is all scratchy!"

"Sure thing baby" Kate smiled, taking her daughers hand and walking into the kitchen with her before picking her up and placing her on the counter. "Can I have it warm?"

"Warm?" Kate asked, her brows knitting together.

"Yeah, I don't like it cold so Gramps used to put it in the microwave for a bit like he used to when you was our age" Lilly smiled.

Kate smiled back, placing her daughters icecream in the microwave for a few seconds.

(-)

It had gone eight and the girls were finishing off watching Finding Nemo for about the 20th time and Kate had decided nowwould be a good time for a bath, after yet again another day of taking care of two ill six year olds. Being that she was in the bath, she didn't hear the knocking on her front door.

"Hello?" The two girls looked up at the man standing on the doorstep.

"Hello?" Tony replied, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm Amelia and that's Elizabeth but she likes being called Lilly, whats your name?" Amelia smiled up at Tony.

"I'm Tony...Is Kate home?"

"Yeah, she's in the bath. You her friend?"

"You could say that, yeah"

"You want to come in and watch Nemo with us while Mama has her bath?" Lilly smiled.

"Sure" Tony smiled back, before closing the door after him and following the girls into the living room.

It was only when he sat down that it had dawned on him, that the adorable girls at the door had refered to Kate as 'Mama' and now that he took another look at them that they were the image of her, same dimples, same big brown eyes, same smile. Kate was a mother?!

**Sorry about the wait, i've been busy and had writers block, which is also why this chapter isn't the best! But Tony knows now, good or bad? Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

Kate walked down her hall way in nothing but a white towel, the sound of her daughters' laughter radiated through the house. She had never heard the sound so happy, hearing their genine hearty laughter, felt like a huge weight had been lifted from the 1000 tonne weight that resided on her shoulders. She walked into her living room, about to tell the twins itwas bedtime when she stopped dead in her tracks.

_What the hell is Tony doing in my living room?!_ Kate thought. A wave of panic washed over her as she realised that there was no wathat Tony hadn't put everything together. He knew. He knew and he had probably lost all respect for her. Thought she was the worlds worst mother.

"Mama!" Lilly shouted excitedly, puling Kate from her train of thought.

"Hey, you" Kate said, her voice unsteady.

Tony still hadn't turned to face her, he instead stayed motioneless on the sofa inbetween the twins.

"Mama, Tony came to see you and then wached Nemo with us!" Amelia exclaimed, as if it were the best thing ever.

"Yeah, he told us lots of jokes and made us laugh!" Lilly added.

"He did did he?" Kate couldn't help but smil at how happy her daughters were. "Well, say night night to Tony. It's wy past your bedtime!"

"We not sleepy Mama!" Amelia smiled, although her droopy eyes seemed to say other wise.

"Tony is sleepy to, he's going to be going to sleep soon too, so say night night"

The twins threw themselves into Tony's arms, holding onto him and squeezing him tightly.

"You come visit again, Tony?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah, pleeeeaseeeee?" Lilly flashed giant puppy dog eyes at him.

"Only if you do as your mommy says and go to bed!" Tony smiled.

Kate had never seen the twins go to bed with so little fuss. They really seemed to like and listen to Tony. Must be because he was mentally their age. Kate followed her daughters into their room where they hopped into bed.

"You guys want a bed time story?" Kate asked.

"Yeah!" both six year olds exclaimed.

"Okay, which one? The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Cinderella? Snow Whi-"

"One of you and Tony" Amelia interrupted her mother.

"Yeah, one of you and Tony!" Lilly added, smiling a toothless smile.

"One of me and Tony?" Kate asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I like Tony. He funny!" Amelia said in a tired voice, before yawning.

Before Kate even had the time to think of a fictional story that involved her and Tony, the sound of soft snoring radiated the room and Kate silently crept out, shutting their bedroom door as she did. She walked into her bedroom and threw her bed shorts and tshirt on and headed backto her living room. She had expected tony to have left by now and was startled to see him still sitting on her couch. She was also startled by the fact Tony had seemed to tidy up for her and turner TV off.

"You're still here?" Kate asked, unsure of what was going to be said next.

"I wanted to see if you were okay" Tony replied.

"And?" Kate asked, sitting on the other end of the sofa.

Tony hadn't looked at her once.

"And what?" Tony asked.

"I know you're thinking, Tony. I know what you must be thinking, so come on out and say it!"

"You're a mother, Kate. A mother. How did I not know. How did you not tell me?"

"Look Tony, it's a difficult situation okay. You know now. You probably think i'm a horrible person. A bad mother, everything I am thinking. But you know now and if you don't want me as your partner anymore I understand-"

"-Why would you say that?!"

"Because you can't trust me. Because you seem mad. Because yuo haven't looked at me once since I found you sitting here!"

"I'm not mad at _you, _Kate" Tony finally turned to face Kate, shocked at how beautiful she looked with wet hair, no makeup and a baggy tshirt and shorts "I'm mad at myself. I obviously made it hard for you to talk to me-"

"-Tony, it isn't something I want to talk about. With anyone" Kate closed her eyes and exhaled. "It's getting late, Tony" Kate tried to change the subject, hoping he would leave and she wouldn't have to have an awkward conversatio. At least not tonight anyway. But Tony wasn't having any of it.

"Kate, i've been worried sick about you for weeks and you haven't given me a straight answer. I'm not leaving until I know you're okay!" Tony more or less shouted, not in a nasty way but in a worried, frustrated way.

Tony half expected this to turn into an arguement, with Kate throwing him out and then shutting him down completely. Either that or she would just ignore him completely. He did not however, expect the reaction he was about to get from Kate.

"I'm tired, Tony" Kate looked at her lap. "Incredibly tired. I haven't slept properly in months. And ashamed, not of them, but of myself. What I did. I said it was for the best for them, but i'm beginning to think that it was what was best for me. I mean, it's not like I couldn't afford to bring them up, I worked protecting the president, I had a good salary but I was scared. I couldn't bring a child up alone, let alone two - especially when I was away so much with work. I tried to make things work between me and their father, but as soon as I peed on a stick he drove me to the clinic and left me with a couple of hundred dollars. I'm catholic - well was raised catholic anyway and I knew I couldn't be the mother they needed me to be. I knew I couldn't provide them wit the family they needed. I had convinced myself that it was the right thing to do. I still wanted to be in their lives but I just...I was a coward, Tony. I hate myself for it. My parents brought them up, and i'd send money and visit every weekend , they still knew I was their mother, but we barely had a relationship. We barely knew eachother. And about a year ago, my mom started to get ill, and now she's so ill they couldn't take care of the twins any more. I haven't even had time to process the fact my mother is dying, Tony" Kate's confession had caused them both to cry. Kate's voice was so weak, so tired and full of shame.

"Kate" Tony reached over to hold her hand, to try and comfort her and be there for her.

Kate pulled away so quickly at his touch, as if he were made made of fire.

"No, Tony!" A whole new wave of tears and emotions flooded over her. "What kind of person gives her children away like that?! They must have grown up thinking I didn't love them-"

"-Kate, I know what a child who thought their parents don't love themooks like. And believe me, thats not it. All they did for the fourty minutes you were in the bath was go on about you. How you were off being SuperMommy, fighting the bad guys and keeping everybody safe and how they want to be just like you one day!"

Kate didn't believe Tony. She couldn't. His words were true, that is all the twins had talked about - that and Nemo, but if she didn't believe it herself, how could two six year olds believe it.

"I tried to make up for it, Tony but I can't do it anymore. Everyone thinks i'm this strong, organised good little catholic girl, but i'm not. I'm weak. I'm tired and I just can't do it, Tony!" Kate stood up and began pacing back and forth infront of the sofa.

"Kate, listen to me. You _are _strong, and you _can _do this, okay! I only spent fourty minutes with those girls but I fell in love with them. You're not alone in this, Kate. You've got me and you'll deffinatley have the support of everyone at work-"

Kate's eyes widened and she stopped pacing and looked Tony square in the face.

"-Nobody at work is going to find out about this. I can't deal with everyone else thinking what i'm thinking about myself. The only reason you know is because you turned up at my doorstep but there is no way that i'm going to let Abby and Gibbs know that I just gave my children away! No! Abby is adopted and Gibbs, he couldn't even watch his daughter grow up. How do yo think he's going to feel when he finds out I just gave mine away?!"

"You didn't just 'give them away', Kate! You did what was best for them. You wanted them to have a proper family. You stayed in their lives when most people would have taken the easy option and ran, and that if far from cowardly, Kate. That's pretty darn brave. And you're still here now. They love you, Kate, and you love them and none of the rest of it should matter!" By now Tony was stood up too, looking into Kate's big brown eyes tha we're full to the brim with tears. "Oh, and as for Gibbs and Abby - Abby will be thrilled, name herself 'Auntie' and spoil them rotton and Gibbs...well, he'll be pised you kept it from him but as soon as he meets them and they work their magic and charm on him, he'll adopt the roll of 'Grandpa', Ziva will teach them Ninja Mossad tricks and McGoo, well they'll probably torrorise him but he's been bullie by little girls all his life so he will be used to it!" Tony flashed Kate a cheeky smile.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Kate sniffled trying to hide the tiny smile that was etching its way onto her face.

"Because, Kate, there is some things I don't joke about!" Tony sat back on Kate's sofa, Kate shortly following him. "And besides, I was convinced you were a lesbian, I had a brainfull of jokes about that...not _this"_

Kate let a tiny, half smile form on her face. She had felt as though that 1000 tonne weight that had been on her shoulders had been lifted. Tony had been right in mostof the things he had said, but she sill didn't believe she was a good mother. The pain was still embedded into Kate's face. Pain and fatigue. And Tony noticed it. He also noticed that she still looked beautiful.

"Look, Kate" Tony turned to look at Kate who was staring into space "I know i'm probably the last person who you would want to help you, but i'm not going to let you do this alone. I don't know what it is about those kids, but in under an hour they have me wrapped aroundtheir tiny little fingers and there is no way i'm going to let them go through this alone either. You name it Kate, and i'll do it for you"

"Tony-"

"-No Kate, whether you like it or not. You're stuck with me. I'm not going anywhere, so don't even try and give me that look because when you've seen it done in minature by twins, yours isn't going to have an effect on me anymore!" Tony smiled.

Kate just looked at Tony, not saying anything and trying to hold in yet another wave of tears that were threatening to fall. _Why was Tony being so nice?_ She hadn't peged him for the children type, even though in his mind he was still mentally a six year old, she had never imagined him to be so good with children - let alone offer to be there for them. She didn't know why, but she felt safe with Tony - she always did as she trusted him completely as her partner, but this was much more than that. She trusted him with everything she had jus told him. Every emotion she had just poured out to him. She felt safe, even though he knew how insecure she really was behind her mask - she herself hadn't even realised it until she poured her soul out to him just minutes earlier. She hadn't ralised she had started shaking, probably due to exhaustion both physically and emotionally, until Tony had wrapped his arms around her and was now embracing her in a hug. There was something about this action, about how strangely safe she felt in his arms, that she couldn't hold her tears in any longer and she once again began to cry. Tony's arms tightened around her instantly and he pulled her in closer to his chest, her wet hair and tears leaving stains on his shirt. Kate had one of her handsin her lap and the other clutched a handful of Tony's shirt in her hands. Tony rested his head on the top of hers and he couldn't help but inhale her scent, the sell of her shampoo, of her shower gel of her clothes. He placed a series of kisses on the top of her head, the first one unintentional but he just wanted Kate to feel safe. To stop being insecure. There was nothing he wouldn't do in that moment to make Kate feel better, he wanted more excuses to kiss her and so he continued to plant soft, comforting kisses on her head. Kate lifted her head to look at him and he wiped her cheeks with his thumbs and cupped her face. Before either of them knew it, Kate had placed her lips on his. It took Tony a moment to respond but just as Kate was about to pull away - now feeling even worse, Tony engaged her in a soft kiss. Her lips were so soft and salty but she was still perfect. Kate pulled away from Tony only a few moments later and snuggled into his chest again. Tony's protective arms pulling her in tighter and closer. He never wanted to let her go. Within seconds, Kate seemed to stop crying.

"Kate?" Tony whispered.

Tony was met by deep breathing that ket him know Kate had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself at how good this felt To have Kate in his arms. How good it felt to kiss her and how he yearned for more. Did he like Kate? Or was he just caught up in the moment? He had been worried about her lately, although, so had everyone, she was acting crazy. He was so heartbroken when he found her in the tub in Puerto Rico, but she was his partner, so naturally he would. Tony battled with his thoughts until he too fell asleep. Little did he know that this was just the first of may nights where Caitlin Todd would fall asleep in his arms.

**Okay guys, hope you liked it! I know you've had to wait a while for an update but I hope that was worth it! Let me know what you think! Now we know the whole story regarding Kate and the twins, what do you think? Are things finally going to start getting better for Kate? Thanks for all the awesome reviews and kind words of encouragement, they mean the world to me. You guys are the best! Please keep them coming and i'll keep the Tate coming;-)**


	9. Chapter 9

It was well past 11am when Kate woke up, nearly 12. For a second she wondered why she had one, fell asleep on the couch, two, slept in for so long and not been woken up by two six year old girls, three, why her eyes were aching and four, why her home was so quiet. Then she remembered, the memories of the prior night came pouring into her mind as if she had a hangover. She certainly felt like she had a hangover - an emotional one at least! Kate got off the sofa, cracking the kinks out of her back as she stood up before walking into her kitchen. She was greeted by the sweet aroma of pancakes and just as she was about to go and see where her daughters were, a white peice of paper caught her eye.

_'I stayed the night, I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to make sure you were okay! I made the girls breakfast, bathed them and now we're at the park. I didn't want to wake you, afterall, you need the sleep. Tony'_

Unbeknowing to Kate, as she read the first sentence, a smile crept onto her face. Tony had stayed over, he had been worried about her and he wanted to make sure she was okay. She was also surprised how quickly Lilly and Amelia had taken to him. Kate read the letter once again, her smile growing even bigger, before she decided to go and get dressed. She was stood staring at her wardrobe for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what to wear. Usually, she didn't care, especially since she had the twins, but now she wanted to look nice. She wanted to look nice for not only herself, but for Tony. He had impressed her, and subconciously, she wanted to impress him too. Tony always thought Kate looked good in whatever she wore, although, he would never usually let it show. Kate had decided on a white nylon blouse and dark blue jeans. It wasn't a fancy outfit but the jeans showed off her legs and the blouse showed off her figure, whilst she still also looked like a respectable mother. Kate tied her dark brown locks into a pony tail, threw on her pair of converse and her leather jacket and headed off to the local park where she assumed Tony had taken the girls.

She hadn't really thought much about last night, she hadn't really wanted to. She felt safe with Tony knowing her deepest, darkest secret and that he had seen her that vulnerable and fragile. 24 hours ago she would never have even imagined what had happened last night to have happened in her wildest dreams, but she was glad it had happened. She finally felt happy for the first time in a long time, she felt lighter, she had a bounce in her step. She had also come out of it with a new found respect for Anthony DiNozzo and what seemed to be a blossoming friendship. As she entered the park, she saw Tony pushing the girls on the swings, the three of them laughing and joking.

"Mamma!" The girls faces grew even more happy as they saw there mother enter the playground.

"Hey you guys, you having fun?" Kate smiled.

"Yeah" Lilly smiled.

"Uncle Tony has been playing with us all morning!" Amelia added, as Tony continued pushing the girls swings.

_Uncle Tony?_ Kate thought. Hearing those words come out her daughters' mouths made her go all warm and fuzzy.

"You guys wanna go and play on the slide or something for a bit?"Kate asked, seeing how tired Tony as beginning to look after pushing them. "Give _Uncle Tony _a break?"

"Okay mama" the girls smiled as they hopped out of the swings and ran off to the swings hand in hand.

Kate and Tony headed for the closest bench in a comfortable silence.

"Thanks for last night, Tony" Kate smiled as they sat down on the bench, both of them watching as the twins played happily on the slide.

"It was nothing" Tony tried to brush her thanks off.

"It wasn't nothing, Tony! Most people would have ran a mile at the sight of a hysterical woman but you...you comforted me. You were there for me" Kate turned her gaze to Tony. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he really was.

"I'm not most people, Kate. I was worried about you. You're my partner, my friend and you needed someone. I just don't want you to ever feel like that again - that alone, I mean. I'm here for you and for the girls! Whether you like it or not"

"I know Tony, and it means the world to me and I know it means the world to the girls too" Kate smiled.

"They do love their Uncle Tony" Tony laughed, he now turned to Kate who had turned back to watching the girls. He had never really took her in, but now he was studying her, the colour of her eyes, the shape of her nose, her cheek bones, her eye lashes, her lips. There was a yearing, an aching inside him to kiss them again.

Tony had had a lot of thinking time this morning. He had woken before the girls and Kate. Kate was still asleep on his chest, his arms wrapped protectivley around her. He liked having her in his arms, he liked the fact that her smell made him go all gooey inside, he liked the fact that she had the most adorable snore ever, he liked the fact that she had the cutest bed hair ever. It was about 20 minutes into him listing all the things that he liked, that he actually realised he liked her. He had always found her attractive, sure, but lately he had been thinking about her more and more. And he couldnt stop thinking about their kiss, albeit a short caught up in the moment one but he wanted more. It was when he realised he liked her that he realised he would also have to make sure his feelings never got stronger. She was his partner, no breaking rule 12. And not to mention the fact that she probably didn't even like him back...and even if in the craziest chance she did, she was a mother, there was no way she would have time for him. And Tony decided he was going to try and ignore the fact he liked her. It was working pretty well until he saw her walking into the playground. His feelings came flooding back, this time making it all the more obvious to him that he had feelings for her.

"I'm guessing you didn't come up with _Uncle Tony_?" Kate laughed.

"The three of us did" Tony laughed. "Lilly asked what to call you and I said whatever they want and they decided on Uncle Tony"

"And you're sure you don't mind?" Kate raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Do you think i'd let them call me it if I did?" Tony smirked. "Kate?" Tony spokeagain, this time his tone more serious.

"Yeah, Tony?" Kate asked, not really sure where he was going to go.

"Are _you _sure you're okay?"

"I'm not going to lie Tony, I never in a million years expected last night to happen. I never expected you to be so...mature. But im glad it happened, I mean, I would rather you not have seen that side of me and to have heard me say all the things I said and I would rather not have burdened you with it all, but i'm glad it happened. I finally feel like I can breathe again. I finally feel like maybe, just maybe I can do this now. I'm really glad I have you, Tony" Kate smiled.

"You haven't burdened me at all, Kate. And if you sharing that with me has taken away some of your pain, i'm more than happy to carry it around for you. I would do anything for you, Kate"

Both Kate and Tony were surprised at his words. His maturity had shocked them both, although, after last night, they were beginning tget used to this new side of each other. They were really beginning to like the fact that only they knew about them sides and they both felt completley safe that the othe knew about them.

Kate looked Tony's face up and down and smiled a his last comment beofre leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. He hesitated at first, but within seconds his arm snaked around her and started to pull her in tighter and closer to him. Kate nuzzled her head into him as his grip tightened around her and his head tilted and rested on top of hers. Both of them completley comfortable in their current postition, both loving how they felt being in each others arms never wanting to move, to leave each others embrace. Tony placed a kiss on the top of Kate's head as her arm made its way onto his chest where it was going to stay as she played with the material of his tshirt. Both sets of eyes were on the twins who had nowmoved from the slide to the spider web, watching them climbing to the top. Both their hearts were racing, not only from the fact that they liked being this close to each other but in fear of on of the girls falling off and hurting themselves.

They stayed in that postition watching the girls for about 10 minutes until what they had been worrying about actually happened. Tony was off the bench before Amelia had even hit the ground, Kate quickly at his heels.

"Amelia, are you okay?!" Kate spat, her heart racing at the sight of the red pooling through her daughters leggings.

"My knee hurts, mama!" Amelia cried.

Tony had reached her a second before Kate and had scooped Amelia up in his arms, cradling her as if trying to hug away the pain she was feling in a siilar way he had done with Kate the night before.

"I know baby, shall we go and get this cleaned up? That'll make you feel better!"

"Icecream will make you feel better too Melia" Lilly shouted from half way up the spider web.

_They've only known Tony a few hours and already they know how to work me! _Kate laughed internally.

"You want some icecream?" Kate asked, knowing she couldn't deny her injured daughter anything.

"Okay" Amelia sniffled before resting her head in the curve of Tony's neck.

"You're gonna have to think of something other than icecream!" Kate smirked as she helped Lilly down off the web.

"I don't want some, Melia is the hurt one. I'll have a coke though" Lilly flashed her mother a cheeky smile - she certainly had a cheeky charm.

"Okay" Kate sighed defeatedly "Only because it's Saturday though"

The four of them walked to the café on the opposite side of the park, Tony chatting and laughing with the girls, Amelia still in his arms, Lilly holding Kate's hand and walking in between them. The looked like a happy family, Tony laughing with the girls, Kate smiling along with them athough her eyes never seemed to leave Tony. They passed several elderly ladies who thought that they were infact a happy family, and they couldn't help but smile and coo at the sight of them. After a ten minute walk, they finally reached the café and sat around a table. As Kate took Amelia to the bathroom to clean her leg, Tony ordered iceream, a coke and two coffee's and sat happily chatting to Lilly until Kate and Amelia got back. Once they got back, the conversations continued flow easily and they cotinued laughing and joking, Kate and Tony never really taking their eyes off one another. It was gone four when Tony walked Kate and the girls home and she had been having an internal battle with herself for the past half hour on whether or not to ask Tony for dinner but thought she would just go for it.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Kate asked.

"I would love to" Tony smiled.

He had hold of Lilly's hand with one of his and Amelia's with his other, Kate holding Amelia's other hand.

"Yay!" Amelia exclaimed in pure joy at the thought of spending even more time with Tony.

Both Kate and Tony feeling equally excited to spend more time with one another, neither of them every really wanting the other to leave or get back to reality. Kate lead the way into her house, biting the inside of her lip trying to hide the giant smile that was threatening to cross her face, Tonydoing the same thing, whilst also examining Kate's behind. He was sure she has worn them clothes to mess with him.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for the revews on my last one, you guys are awesome! Let me know what you think, please keep the reviews coming;-) xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

Kate sat behind her desk, catching up on what seemed to be a forest full of paper work. She was back to her old usual self, well, almost at least. This weekend was the first time in a long time that she had actually relaxed. After Friday, Kate had already felt better and started to relax more, spending even more time with Tony and the girls on Saturday helped and then again spending the day with her partner and as he had showed up on her doorstep at lunchtime to collect his jacket that he had 'accidentally' left the night before and then stayed for dinner as Amelia and Lilly had refused to let him leave and made him play Barbies with them all day until they eventually passed out on him a 8pm.

The corners of Kate's mouth formed a slight smile as she reminisced over her weekend, how it had all been down to Tony. She instantly felt better, relieved once he had found out and how he had made the girls genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

"Hey Kate, feeling better?" McGee asked as he walked into the Bullpen.

"Much" Kate smiled at her colleague.

"Well, i'm glad!" McGee flashed Kate a genuine smile as he sat down at his desk.

"Where's Tony?" Kate asked.

"He...er...I think-"

"-Agent Todd, can I see you in my office now?" Director Shepherd interrupted the younger agent.

"Er, sure" Kate replied uneasily, kicking herself mentally as she had a pretty good idea what Jenny wanted.

Kate followed the Director into her office, closing the door behind her and sitting in the chair on the other side of her desk.

"I'm not going to sugar coat this for you" Jenny started, "I like you, Kate. You're a good Agent, probably one of the best and your recent behaviour...well, that's caught a lot of people's attention and has concerned a lot of people. I assume you know about the budget cuts NCIS is being forced to make-"

"-Oh God, I knew it!" Kate sighed, her mind immediately going to the worst case scenario.

"As I was saying, you know about the budget cuts and the fact we're having to cut down on the number of Agents but you're a good agent Kate, and right now, i'm more concerned about what's wrong with you rather than actually firing you like many board members actually think I should"

Kate stayed silent, she had no idea what to say. Even if she wanted to.

"I fought tooth and nail for you, Kate, and Jethro fought a thousand times harder. If you tell me what's going on, I can help you-"

"-Director Shepard, there was something bothering me, affecting my work, but its sorted now. I'm back to my usual self"

"I hope that's true, Caitlin, but judging on your behaviour lately and the fact over half the board want to fire you, I can't take your word for it. And that's why I have to put you on probation-"

"-WHAT?!" Kate's eyes widened in anger as she stood up from her seat defensively.

"It was either that or loosing your job and I think you being on probation for a few weeks is in both our best interests!"

Kate huffed and sat back down in her seat, biting the inside of her cheek and crossing her arms across her chest in frustration.

"Kate, I didn't want to do this either but like I said a few seconds ago, it was either that or you would be out of a job. This probation will last for a month, but just one foot out of line and there will be nothing I can do. No more coming in late and leaving early, no more fighting Gibbs - however tempting it may be. I don't know what's going on with you and I have known you long enough to know that i'm probably not going to know what it is, but please Kate, be a shining example and get back to the way we both know you can be and show the board members they were ridiculous for ever even trying to fire you" Jenny spoke before dismissing Kate.

She headed back to her desk, she was pissed at first but then realised that given the way she had been acting the past few weeks, that probation was nothing more than a tickle in comparison to being an unemployed single mother of two. Kate couldn't help the smile that emerged on her face as she rounded the corner to find Tony sitting at his desk, childishly flicking tiny paper balls at Ziva, who was visibly getting more and more frustrated by the second.

Tony had been staring at the Directors door since he had gotten in, waiting for Kate to exit, his mind also going to the worst case scenario. He had to look away and occupy himself with something else as soon as he saw her exit the room as he could feel himself start to blush and not to mention the butterflies he now got whenever he thought of her. She had her hair in a pony tail and a tight green jumper on, black work pants and black shoes. Kate looked good in green. Very good in fact. And as butterflies, blushing and hiding his feelings towards women were all knew to Tony, he thought the best way to take his mind off Kate was to annoy the Mossad Agent next to him.

"What did Jenny say?" Tony asked as Kate sat down a her desk, three pairs of worried eyes that belonged to her co-workers on her.

"I'm on probation for a month"

"Probation...as in 'Probie'?" Tony's face lit up with excitement.

"No, probation as in if I step out of line one more time i'm fired kind of probation" Kate smiled smugly. "I assume Gibbs will have to give Jenny daily reports on my behaviour and if i'm late even once i'm fired!"

Something inside Tony started to boil, he didn't know why he was this angry but he was. Kate was a good agent, and sure her behaviour had been bad for the past month, but she certainly did not deserve to be on probation.

"That's crap!" Tony spat.

"Its not, I've just got to play kiss ass for a month-"

"-yeah but Kate, you're bound to be late or have to leave at leas once in the next month because of" Tony's eyes widened as he realised he was about to blurt Kate's secret, Kate's expression mirroring Tony's. "Well, you know, traffic and stuff" Tony covered lamely.

Before Kate or anyone else could reply Gibbs rounded the corner with a new case for them.

(-)

"What's this?" Kate narrowed her eyes and raised a brow at Tony.

"Lunch" Tony smiled, holding out the plastic carton in front of her. "Well, chicken ceaser salad to be precise"

"You bought me lunch?"

"I thought it was the least I could do since you've cooked me dinner two nights on the run" Tony sat down at the bench opposite Kate. "How come you're on your own outside, anyway?"

"I figured it was a nice day and I haven't been on my own for weeks" Kate flicked open the lid and shoved some salad into her mouth.

"You er, want me to go?" Tony asked, thinking that that was Kate's polite way of saying 'leave me alone'.

"No" Kate replied, a little too enthusiastically than she would have liked. "How did you know where I was anyway?"

"Well, I assumed you were at your desk and then when I couldn't find you I traced your cell" Tony flashed Kate a cheeky smile as he tucked into his sub.

"I don't know if that's sweet or creepy..." Kate laughed.

"So, how are you feeling?" Tony asked, changing the subject.

"Good, I mean I did have a little trouble getting the girls to go to school today as they said they'd rather say home and play Barbies with Uncle Tony but other than that, good" Kate smiled, putting another fork-full of salad into her mouth.

"That's good. You seem better, you certainly look better" Tony flashed Kate a genuine smile.

Kate went all warm and gooey inside as Tony told her she looked better, she couldn't help but go this way now whenever she was around him.

Tony couldn't take his eyes off Kate's, and when he wasn't looking a her eyes, he was looking a her lips.

"And I have you to thank for that!" Kate flashed Tony a smile and moved one of her hands to hold his and squeezing it affectionately.

"I'm glad" Tony smiled back as his fingers began to trace light circles on Kate's hand. "And about you being on probation, what are you going to do if you have to rush off in the middle of the day? Did you tell Jenny why you were acting like that?"

"I suppose I'll have to pray I never have to, that or lean on Rach for the next month. And no, you're the only one that knows. It was either probation or loose my job and I wasn't about to argue with the Director and then most probably screw up my probation in under 10 minutes and get fired"

Kate and Tony had discussed telling the rest of the team, Tony more or less talking Kate into it. She had agreed that she would tell them, after all, it wasn't something she could hide forever, but she would tell them when she was ready and not a moment before.

"Well, you know I'll be more than happy to help in any way I can, Kate" Tony subconsciously squeezed Kate's hand which neither of them were aware he was still holding.

"I know, thanks" Kate bit the inside of her lip as her eyes scanned Tony's face.

The two sat in a comfortable for the next five minutes, sill holding hands. Only they were both aware of it but neither of them pulled away as they liked it too much.

"I er, really enjoyed spending time with you and the girls this weekend, Kate" Tony broke the silence.

"Me too, and I know for a fact the girls did too!"

"It's nice to see that side of you" Tony confessed.

"What side?" Kate laughed.

"The mother side of you. I mean, I knew you had it in you because I've seen the way you are around kids before but, I don't know. Its different when you're with the girls. You're softer. More vulnerable"

"Says you!" Kate laughed. "Never in my life did I expect to see you, Anthony DiNozzo, playing with Barbie dolls and spending so much time with 6 year old twins!" Kate laughed.

"Neither did I, but there's something about those two that you can't say 'no' to. God help us when they're teenagers"

Both of them were aware of Tony's choice of words. 'Us'. Tony began internally kicking himself for saying such a thing and Kate tried to hide her smile and then she too began internally kicking herself as there was no way that Tony would mean 'us' in a together type of term.

"They have my fathers charm" Kate tried to act normal.

"I always imagined your father to be scary"

"Oh, he is. But he's also very charming. If he wants something. He'll get it. He can talk himself out of any situation on his scariness alone but if that fails, he turns on the 'Todd charm'" Kate chuckled.

"Ah, I can see where you get it from then"

"Get what from?"

"You have it too, the 'Todd charm'. All you need to do is flash someone a dimple-clad smile and then they're basically your bitch!"

"That is true, I do basically have you wrapped around my little finger" Kate joked only to then realise that they had both interlocked their pinkies.

"Oh but, i'm immune to your charm. The DiNozzo charm far outweighs the Todd charm" Tony replied cheekily.

"You are charming!" Kate smirked.

"I'm glad we go that out the way" Tony replied jokingly.

The pair were still holding hands and continued to all through the rest of lunch, and also stealing glances at eachother and beating themselves up internally for thinking for even a second that the other one could like them back.

By now they were both aware that they liked eachother, however what they weren't aware of was just how much they liked eachother and that the feeling was in fact, mutual. Kate had only been back a day and they had both gone out of their way to be next to eachother: siting next to eachother in the van, leaning that little bit closer than usual when the other was leaning over them to look at something, sitting together at lunch, holding hands all through lunch, standing closer than normal in the lift. They were barely away from eachother for five minutes and it was only four pm. Kate was working till six pm and Rachel was looking after the twins until she got home.

(-)

Kate closed her front door with her foot and threw her keys in the bowl.

"Rach?" Kate called out only to hear clamouring of pots and pans coming from the kitchen.

"Hey" Rachel smiled as her younger sister walked into the kitchen.

Kate stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of her sister. She had about 10 different multi-coloured clips in her hair, bright blue eye shadow that seemed to disappear into her hairline, bright red lipstick that made her look like a clown and angelina jolie had a baby and it was stuck on her face and bright red cheeks, which to be honest, she had nothing to say about them as they were that ridiculous.

"Well, I know the girls aren't going to grow up to be hairdressers or makeup artists!" Rachel laughed as she saw Kate trying her hardest to suppress the laughing fit that was dying to burst out of her.

"Oh, it reminds me of the times you used to sneak out to see Johnny Cramer from over the road and you would steal mums makeup to try and look older" Kate sniggered.

"Oh what about you?!" Rachel laughed whilst heating Kate's dinner up for her.

"What about me?!" Kate replied, having no idea what her older sister was talking about.

"The first ever time you wore makeup was to try and impress Keith Taylor from down the road-"

"-if I remember correctly, you're the one who actually did my makeup!"

"That's only because you thought lipstick went on your eyelids!"

The two siblings laughed as they remembered their childhood memories, they had never really been close growing up, Kate being the youngest and Rachel one of the oldest, plus Kate got on better with the boys growing up as she thought wrestling with people twice her size was far more interesting than putting makeup on and trying on clothes like most girls did. But once they were grown up, Kate in her early teens, Rachel in her late, they started to become closer. Kate would go to her for advice on boys. Rachel was the first person she told about her first ever kiss - which happened to be with Keith Taylor the night Rachel had done her makeup and they had gone to the cinema, Rachel was the first person she told about loosing her virginity - in the back seat of their fathers car.

Once Kate had joined the Secret Service and moved away from home, they had lost closeness. Kate had lost closeness with all her siblings and it was only recently that they had become close again.

"I missed you" Kate said, her voice laced with pain.

"I missed you too, little sis" Rachel replied, throwing her arms around Kate and squeezing her tight.

Kate's face lit up as her daughters came hurdling into the kitchen, their makeup mirroring Rachels.

"Hey mama, I miss you today!" Lilly smiled, throwing her arms around her mothers leg and snuggling into her thigh.

"I missed you too!" Amelia added, doing the same thing her twin did with Kate's other leg.

"I mised you guys too today!" Kate wrapped her arms around her daughters, pulling them in even closer. "Did you guys have fun in school?" Kate asked, bending down on her knees so she was their height.

"Yeah, we learnt the times tables!" Amelia smiled proudly.

"You did?!" Kate retured in the same enthusiastic tone her six year old had just used.

"Yeah"

"Is Unc Tony coming tonight?" Lilly asked.

"Not tonight, Uncle Tony needs a rest" Kate laughed remembering how the girls had tired him out.

"We love Uncle Tony!" Amelia smiled.

"Yeah, me too" Kate whispered sunconsiously. "...C'mon girls, lets go watch some TV and let Auntie Rach get cleaned up" Kate smiled, walking her daughters into the living room.

**Okay guys, hope you liked it! The next chapter should be up soon as i've already started writing it, yaaay! Let me know what you think! Thanks for all the reviews, they really do mean a lot to me!:)**


	11. Chapter 11

Tony walked into Abby's lab the next morning, a smile on his face while he whistled a happy, nameless tune.

"You got them test results, Abbs?" Tony asked cheerily as he set a Caf-Pow down on the table next to the Goth.

"You're in love. Again" Abby replied, completely ignoring Tony.

"What?" Tony asked, knitting his brows in confusion.

"Tony, you come in here at least twice a month, whistling happy tunes with a lovesick smile on your face and then you tell me all about 'the hot girl from the gym' or 'the girl who sold you coffee' or 'the blonde chick who smiled at you on the street'. So, who is it this time?"

"Nobody" Tony replied, although, he had been in a bad mood this morning until he remembered that Kate had phoned him the night before and asked if he could have the twins for an hour tonight while she and Rachel went for a coffee after work.

"You're lying!" Abby poked Tony in the chest before crossing her arms across her chest.

"Ow! I am not!" Tony retorted whilst rubbing the sore spot on his chest where Abby had poked him.

"Yes you are! Your left eyebrow always twitches when you lie! Do not lie to me Anthony DiNozzo Jnr!"

"I'm not lying, Abbs!"

Abby narrowed her eyes at Tony and bit her lip staring him out.

"Okay, okay!" Tony threw his hands up in the air, he couldn't hide anything from Abby. She had creepy superpowers, and quite frankly, she scared him a little. "There is someone I like"

"Who is it? Tell me!" Abby jumped up and down, clapping excitedly.

"She's...she's...nobody you know" Tony lied, hoping Abby wouldn't see through this one. "But there's no way in hell she would ever like me back" Tony added quickly, in hopes that Abby would focus on that.

"What, why?"

"Well, one, she's got twin 6 year old girls and two, she's smart, classy and mature"

Abby gave Tony a gob smacked look, usually the women he would explain to her would be no older than 27 and he would explain his favourite body part first, not the fact she was a mother and that she was smart.

"Smart, classy people can like you too, Tony. I like you" Abby smiled.

"Yes, but you're not a mother of two who until a few days ago thought I was nothing but a 15 year old in a 30 year olds body"

"How do you know?" Abby raised a playful eyebrow. "Well, if she's now changed her opinion of you, doesn't that mean you at least have a chance?"

"Abbs, I've known her for years. There is no way she's ever going to like me back. I've only realised I actually had feelings for her a few days ago!"

"Tony, you're smiling like a lovesick puppy. Your face lights up whenever you talk about her. You may only have realised your feelings a few days ago, but by the looks of it, they've been there a while!"

"You're not really helping, Abbs!" Tony sighed.

"Wow, I've never seen you like this over a girl before Tony!" Abby exclaimed. "How do you know she doesn't like you back? Has she actually said she doesn't?"

"No but, she's far too good to like me back. Plus, I highly doubt she's even going to be looking for a relationship when she's a working, single mother!"

"Tony, I can see why you're not chasing after her the way you normally would with a girl but unless you try, you'll never know. I say you should just plant one on her and see what happens!"

"I've already done that"

"And...?" Abby asked, gesturing Tony to elaborate.

"And what?" Tony asked.

"And what did she do?"

"Well, she kissed me back-"

"-see, she likes you back!"

"She was caught up in the moment, that's all"

Before both Tony or Abby could say something else, Gibbs entered the lab with an angry look on his face.

"Abbs, where the hell are those results. I sent Tony down here 15 minutes ago!" Gibbs spat.

"They're right here!" Abby handed Gibbs the file. "Tox screen showed enough GHB in her system to knock out a field of bulls in her system. And her blood work also showed that she was pregnant, early stages, probably about 3 months. She had also been trying to get off drugs as I took the liberty of testing a strand of her hair too. She had been trying to get clean for at least 4-6 months"

"That ties in with what her boyfriend said, they had been trying to get off drugs for five months" Tony added.

Gibbs headed out of the room and back up to the Bullpen followed by Tony. Abby watched his retreating form and took a sip from her Caf-Pow. Tony DiNozzo was head over heals in love with someone, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

(-)

They had both been so busy with work, they had hardly seen or spoken to eachother all day. Although, the few moments they did spend at their desks, most of them were spent stealing glances at one another.

Kate sat in her kitchen, chatting to Rachel whilst they waited for Tony - who was running late - to come and baby sit the girls.

"Mama, Uncle Tony is here!" Lilly exclaimed as she and Amelia ran past the kitchen towards the front door.

Kate followed her daughter to the front door and opened it with a smile.

"Hey" Kate smiled, stepping aside to let Tony in.

"Hey" Tony smiled back. "I'm so sorry i'm late, I was in the video store and I wasn't sure what the girls liked, I mean, I haven't watched Disney in like forever and I've certainly never watched any chick flicks, or kid flicks, so I asked this spotty teenager and well, he told me that his little sister was really into some film I can't remember so I figured I would just go with the safest option" Tony rambled on but Kate had listened to every word, not taking her eyes off him for one second.

"And the safest option was?" Kate asked.

"Shrek!" Tony smiled like a child.

"I love Shrek!" Amelia smiled.

"Me too!" Lilly added.

Kate and Tony had almost forgotten about the twins, they had been too caught up in staring at one another. Neither of them had even noticed Rachel in the doorway, watching her younger sister and her co-worker more or less drooling over eachother, until she coughed and decided she'd introduce herself.

"Hi, i'm Rachel. Kate's older sister" Rachel stuck out her hand for Tony to shake.

"H-hi" Tony said, pulling himself away from staring at Kate.

"I've heard a lot about you"

"All bad I guess" Tony joked.

"Yep" Rachel said shortly, not really knowing what to make of Tony, as she had only known him as some childish womanizer Kate had so often complained about.

Both Kate and Tony let out nervous laughs, but before things could get any more awkward, the twins pulled Tony into the living room.

"Are you sure you'll be alright minding them for a couple of hours?" Kate asked, he voice full of worry.

"Of course!" Tony smiled reassuringly.

"I mean, they're a lot to handle-"

"-Kate" Tony looked Kate square in the eye. "I know they're going to be hard work, but I've spent so much time with them, I love them. If I didn't think I could handle it, I wouldn't have said yes. And besides, you deserve a night to yourself. So go and enjoy yourself. Really, we're going to be fine" Tony smiled.

Somewhere into the conversation, Tony had taken one of Kate's hands in his and was now stroking her knuckles, both of them gazing into each others eyes, almost getting lost.

"Er, Kate. We'd best be going now" Rachel laughed awkwardly.

"Oh...right" Kate replied in the same tone as her sister. "Well, thanks for having the girls. I'll be back before you know it. And if you need me, you can just get me on my-"

"-I won't need you. Go. Have fun!" Tony smiled.

"By babies, I'll see you soon!" Kate said to the girls, who were far too into Shrek to even realise Kate was talking to them.

Kate walked over to the couch and placed a kiss on the top of her daughters' brown locks and without thinking, placed a kiss on Tony's cheek. For a second they could feel awkwardness starting to form between them, despite the fact that they both liked what she had just 'accidentally' done, and so, Tony but on his best child voice and replied "goodbye mom" which caused Kate to smile.

(-)

"So...Tony seems nice" Rachel gave Kate a knowing smile as she took a sip of her coffee.

"He is" Kate smiled back, thinking about just how nice Tony actually was.

"You like him don't you!" Rachel stated bluntly.

"I've always liked him, he's got this charm-"

"-No, you _like him _like him!" Rachel widened her eyes, emphasising what she meant.

"What are we? Back in high school or something?" Kate replied sarcastically.

"You seem to be the way you drool over Tony!" Rachel laughed. "And besides, you're deflecting!"

"I am not!" Kate defended.

"You are, little sis! You like Tony and you know it so when I bring it up, you change the subject! You can't lie to me, I know you inside and out" Rachel smiled smugly.

"Well, I don't like him, and even if I did, he doesn't like me back" Kate replied sheepishly before taking a sip of her coffee to try and mask the slight hurt in her voice.

"What is it you do again?" Rachel asked, screwing up her face.

"Oh, now who's deflecting?!" Kate raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"No, seriously, what is it you do for a living?!"

"I'm an NCIS agent, you know that!"

"Oh, yeah well you're either a really bad agent because you can't spot that Tony is craaaaazy for you, or, you're even more stupid than I thought!"

"Well you're a worse psychologist than I thought if you think that me and Tony like eachother!" Kae scoffed.

"When you lie, the corner of your mouth always curves slightly. It has done since you were five and you told mum Joe and Rick were playing football in the house and broke her vase, when it was in fact you fighting with Tommy!"

Kate moved her coffee cup in front of her mouth.

"Look Kate, I know love when I see it, and what I saw an hour ago, whether you guys know it yet or not, that was love! I've never seen you this happy, Kate. You deserve it"

"I don't...I don't know how I feel about him" Kate sighed. "I mean, I like him, at least I think I do, but he's my partner. My friend. I just, I don't know if I can go through with that again"

"Go through with what?"

"Getting hurt"

"Kate, Tony's not going to hurt you-"

"-I know him Rach, he's not a one woman kind of guy, he's not even a third date kind of guy! I can't expect him to have changed over night!"

"It seems to me like he's changed. He seems to spend as much time as he can with you, seems to find all the excuses in the world to stare at you, to touch you. You need to take a risk every once in a while"

"Things between me and Tony are good, and i'm not about to go and ruin them any time soon!" Kate spat in a stern tone, letting Rachel know that this conversation was over.

**There we have it! Hope you guys liked it, it took me longer than I expected to write. So, Kate is scared of getting hurt again, can Tony prove to her that he won't hurt her? Will Abby find out who it is Tony loves? lemme know what you think! Thank you for the revies and please keep them coming!:)**


	12. Chapter 12

After what Kate could only describe of an eventful night with Rachel, she hoped that it wouldn't effect her as much in the morning as it was right now. She was almost dredding going home and seeing Tony. Not now she was 100% aware that she liked him. Maybe even more.

Kate took a deep breath before entering her home, she was expecting the house to be full of noise and energy but the only noise she heard was coming from the TV. Kicking off her shoes and shrugging off her jacket, Kate made her way to the living room where she was greeted by the backs of three heads. "Hey guys" Kate smiled as she made her way around the couch and sat on the chair next to it.

"Hey mama!" The girls said in unison.

"Did you have a good night?" Tony asked, flashing Kate a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"It was good" Kate smiled back, trying to hide the fact that she was lying.

"You sure?" Tony asked skepically, noticing Kate's tone.

"i'm sure"

"Mama, come snuggle with us!" Lilly pouted.

Tony and the twins were currently all sat together on the couch, both of them snuggling into either side of Tony.

Not being able to say no to her daughter, Kate stood up and moved over to the couch. Just as she did, Lilly moved away from Tony's side and to the end of he couch, meaning the only space for Kate was to snuggle next to Tony. Kate heart started to race, as did Tony's, as they realised that they would be snuggling in a matter of seconds. Kate flopped down on the couch next to her daughter and Tony. His arm snaked around the back of the couch almost instantly and Kate pulled Lilly into a tight embrace.

They had finished the first Shrek whilst Kate was out and were halfway through Shrek 2 when Kate got home, and now, the four of them sat on the sofa watching the rest of the film. The girls fell asleep almost 10 minutes later and both Kate and Tony could feel heir tiredness getting the better of them. Kate was very aware of the fact she was half asleep. Half asleep in Tony's arms. She wanted to get up and go to bed - alone, but she didn't even have the energy to speak, and so, she decided that she would rest her eyes for 10 minutes, gathering the energy she needed, put the kids to bed and see Tony out. But her plan didn't work as well as she thought it would. Within seconds she fell into a deep sleep, and nuzzled her head into the curve of Tony's shoulder whilst her arm stretched across his chest as she snuggled close to him.

Tony was half asleep himself when he felt Kate pulling herself towards him. Part of him wanted to just get up and leave, but the other part (which just happened to be the bigger part) told him to stay. And so, he chose to listen to the part that told him to stay. Besides, the chance to snuggle up to Kate was one he would never pass up. And he wasn't in the right frame of mind to begin an internal battle with himself. He smiled at the touch of Kate wiggling her head even further into the crook of his neck. The smell of her hair and perfume invading him and making him go weak at the knees. He moved his arm from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around Kate's shoulders. At first she stirred a bit at his touch but seconds later she sighed happily and went back to sleep.

At some point in the night, Kate's leg managed to find its way inbetween Tony's.

Amelia was the first one up. She was confused when she woke up snuggled up to Tony on the couch, but being six, it didn't really bother her that much. Usually, she would wake her mirror image up and then they would jump on Kate's bed until she woke up. Today however, she only woke her sister up.

"We not waking mummy up too?" Lilly asked sleepily.

"No, her and Tony are too tired! We should make her breakfast too" Amelia smiled.

"Okay" Lilly smiled excitedly.

It wasn't long before pans clanging and bashing together tore Kate and Tony from their slumber.

"We make you guys breakfast!" Amelia smiled proudly in front of Kate and Tony before they had even realised the position they were in.

"Thank you, baby" Kate said, her voice full of sleep.

Both Kate and Tony looked down at the tray Amelia and Lilly were holding. It took them a few seconds to realise what it was that was in front of them. They realised the black square was toast and that it was covered in literally a whole jar of jam. Take took a cup from the tray and took a sip of the black liquid, trying her best not to spit the disgusting liquid all over her twins.

"Mmmm. This is lovely" Kate lied, trying not to let her facial expression say other wise.

"It really is!" Tony added with a mouthful of charcoal like toast.

"Yay!" The girls shrieked as they wrapped their arms around each other happily before running off.

"You know you didn't actually have to eat that" Kate laughed as Tony finished his piece of toast.

"I know" Tony smiled, his teeth black from the toast which caused Kate to laugh.

"What time is it?" Kate asked as she made her way to the kitchen, tray in hand.

"6:47" Tony said leaning against the door frame.

Kate's eyes widened at the sight of her kitchen. A dump was cleaner than this! There was milk all over the sides and on the floor, jam up and down the cabinet doors, cereal floating on the floor, multiple pieces of burnt toast thrown around, the fridge door was open and not to mention everything else they had knocked down from the cupboards when they were looking for things to make for breakfast.

"Oh. My. God" Kate huffed before scrubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"You er...want some help?" Tony asked.

"I don't have time to clean this. I'm gonna have to do it after work!" Kate huffed under her breath to herself. "Thanks for last night, Tony" Kate smiled as she walked out of the kitchen. "I'll see you later" she added before heading to the bathroom to get herself ready.

Seeing the stress that was already evident in Kate's eyes, Tony decided that he would clean the kitchen for her. He liked doing nice things for Kate, for being the reason she smiled.

Kate turned the heat of the shower all the way up(even though a cold shower would be better right now). Waking up in Tony's arms freaked her out. She liked it, a lot, but it freaked her out. The piping hot water hit her skin but it wasn't doing what it was supposed to. It wasn't washing her feelings away in the slightest. In fact, the heat was probably fuelling them. All she could think about was Tony. His smile, his touch, his eyes.

After her shower, which lasted longer than she hap planned as she spent nearly an hour trying and failing to not think about Tony, she headed to the living room to find the girls watching cartoons, already in their uniforms.

"When did you guys get ready?" Kate asked as she sat down and put her shoes on.

"Tony got us ready after we cleaned the kitchen" Lilly replied not turning away from the TV.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he said we should help you" Amelia responded, her attention fully on the cartoons too.

"Well, that was nice of him" Kate said quieter than a breath.

"He said he likes making you happy" Lilly said without realising.

Her daughters last statement caused Kate to blush and smile. She too liked the fact he made her happy.

"You guys ready to go?" Kate asked, standing from her seat.

"Yeah" the girls stood up simultaneously, Kate turning the TV off as they headed out.

**Hope you liked it, lemme know what you think! Thanks for the reviwes, they mean a lot to me! Don't worry, Tate is coming!:)**


	13. Chapter 13

They found themselves alone in the bullpen alone. It was well past midnight and the only light in the room was the dim shine from the computer screens and the street lamps outside. Their tension had hit an all time high today and they were currently sat behind their desks wishing the other would sweep over and ravish them.

Kate bit her bottom lip as she looked Tony up and down. She couldn't take it any longer. Pushing up from her seat, Kate walked over to Tony's desk and sat on the end of it. Her skirt hitched all the way up her thigh showing her bare smooth legs. Tony's eyes immediately fell to her exposed skin before trailing up her body. They lingered at her breasts for a while, she had unbuttoned her shirt a few buttons and her lace clad cleavage was on show before they finally settled on the brown eyes that were looking a him with pure lust.

Tony ghosted his fingers up and down Kate's thigh before he too stood up and pulled her so close to him that she was straddling his hips. Without a word he pushed a few strands of brown locks behind Kate's ear before laying a trail of we kisses from her ear, down her neck. He removed the white shirt from her shoulders revealing more of her before he continued his trail of kisses across her collar bones and down her chest. Kate's chest rose in pleasure as Tony's kisses got lower and lower down her chest. Both of them could hear their heart beat in their ears, it was beating faster than it had ever beat before.

"I've wanted this for so long" Kate said in between moans as she pulled Tony even closer to her.

With one swift sweeping motion, Tony knocked everything off his desk before pushing Kate to lie flat on her back. Tony examined her naked torso for a few seconds before she sat back up and ripped the shirt clean off his back, his buttons flying every which way, before she pulled him to lie flat on her and capturing him in an intense, passionate kiss, her fingers getting lost in his hair, his playing at the clasp of her lace bra.

Kate wrapped her legs around Tony's waist even tighter and pulled him closer, both of them moaning in pleasure as they felt eachother. Tony's hands moved up Kate's smooth back before they pinned her arms down above her head. Tony looked down at Kate, her big brown eyes burning holes into his very being. She was so perfect. Beyond perfect if that was even possible. Both their chests rising and falling with their heavy, lust filled, jagged breathing, heir faces barely centimeters apart, breathing the same thick hot air.

"I love you" Tony smiled, looking her face up and down.

"I lo-"

**"DINOZZO!" **

Tony felt a searing pain in the back of his head as he was rudely woken up from a very, very nice dream.

"Yeah boss?" Tony asked, still half asleep as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sleep on your own time!" Gibbs growled.

"Sorry boss"

Once Gibbs had angrily walked away, Tony heard the rest of the room sniggering. He looked around to see that Ziva and McGee couldn't control their laughter.

"You couldn't have warned me McGoo?!" Tony narrowed his eyes at the younger agent as he snapped in a frustrated tone.

"Where's the fun in that?" McGee snorted, knowing Tony wd have done the exact same thing to him if the situation were reversed.

"Where's Kate?" Tony asked, looking around the room and focusing on the empty desk.

"Other than in your dreams?" Ziva teased.

Tony's eyes widened in both shock and fear.

"Oh, don't tell me you've never had sexy dreams about me my little ninja" Tony smiled cheekily.

"Not you, most of the other people we work with though. McGee has some good moves!"

McGee almost fell out of his chair which caused both Tony and Ziva to laugh at how he reacted. Before anyone else could say anything Tony glanced at his computer to check the time. 12.06. Lunch time.

"Don't think about me too much" Tony winked towards Ziva as he headed towards the mens room.

After he made sure it was empty, Tony splashed freezing water on his face. He needed a cold shower but since that wasn't an option, he settled on swillinghis face with the ice cold water. He had had a lot of sex dreams about Kate over the past four years, a lot of kinky sex dreams, but none where he had told her he loved her or where he had really taken the time to take in her beauty. He gripped the edge of the sink so hard that his knuckles turned white. He couldn't get Kate out of his mind, and this was worse than it had been over the past few weeks. He would have stayed gripping the edge of the sink for the next hour but his stomach said otherwise. He splashed himself with some more freezing water before he exited the bathroom.

On his way out, he noticed that Kate was now sat behind her desk, her face in her hands.

"Kate?" Tony rushed over to her side.

"Oh...hey" Kate looked up at Tony, her eyes were red and bloodshot, her cheeks were wet from tears.

"Kate, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Tony asked, now in full blown worry mode.

"Its nothing, honest. I'm fine, i'm just being silly-"

"-Kate, it's me you're talking to here" Tony placed his hand on hers and looked her in the eye.

Kate looked at Tony, his face was soft. Concerned. She trusted him, more than ever now.

"It's just...I...I mean" Kate stumbled on her words, not able to get anything out.

"Hey" Tony hooked his finger under her chin bringing her eyes to meet his. "You don't have to tell me now, I just want you to be okay"

"I will be" Kate smiled at Tony before cupping his cheek, her thumb ghosting across his cheek.

"You wanna get some lunch?" Tony asked, hoping to distract her.

"Only if you're paying" Kate smiled charmingly before sniffling one more time.

Tony flashed Kate another smile before they headed to the cafeteria in a comfortable silence, both stealing glances at one another, both wishing the other would take their hand and interlock their fingers.

Once they had their lunch, Kate had the usual salad, Tony had decided he would get the same as Kate to see what it was like to be her, they sat at the bench outside that they had claimed as their own a few days ago and had shared lunch there together almost every day.

"My dad phoned me" Kate broke their silence before shoving a fork-full of lettuce into her mouth.

"Huh?" Tony replied, not clicking onto what Kate was talking about.

"He said my mum collapsed last night and she was rushed to hospital. They said there was nothing more they could do at this point" Kate sniffled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh my God, Kate!" Tony exclaimed, not really knowing what to say.

"No...no, its for the best. I mean, she's not going to be in pain anymore, she's being put into a hospice tomorrow. The doctors think she has a week, two a the most" tears fell from Kate's eyes faster than she could wipe them away. "It's not the fact she's dying that's getting to me...I mean, obviously i'm heartbroken she is but, its the fact that I can't be there with her. I can't hold her hand. Say goodbye. After everything she's done for me I just leave her"

"Why can't you be there?" Tony asked his eyes full of concern and worry.

"Because i'm on probation! I can't just up and leave. I'll loose my job. I'm already in enough touble and i've already taken too many days off this month when the girls had the flu"

"Kate, you mum is dying. Of course Jenny is going to give you time off"

"I doubt it"

"Well, if she gives you any hassle about it then I'll have a word with her. But Jenny isn't going to say no. I promise!" Tony half smiled as he pulled Kate into an embrace, her tears soaking through his shirt and onto his chest. His hand rubbed her back soothingly as he gently rocked her back and forth, giving the people a death stare who dared look their way.

(-)

Tony sat at his desk, not taking his eyes off the door to Jenny's office. Kate had been in there almost an hour. It took some time but he had finally convinced her to ask Jenny for some time off and to tell her it was for family reasons. Tony's heart raced as all kinds of scenario's raced through his mind. He wanted nothing more than to hold Kate in his arms and never let her go, to protect her from all the bad in the world. He wanted to kiss away her pain, to carry it himself. A few minutes later, Kate exited the room, her eyes were red and puffy and it was obvious she had been crying, although, nobody had the balls to even look her way let alone ask her what was up.

"What did she say?" Tony asked as Kate sat at her desk.

"I can go and be with her" Kate replied, not meeting his gaze.

The rest of the working day was silent, or at least Kate was anyway. She headed home at 7pm and Tony headed up to Jenny's office.

"Come in" Jenny responded to the knocks on her door.

Tony entered the room and headed towards her desk.

"Tony, you alright?" Jenny asked, having no idea why he was in her room.

"I have some vacation time coming up and I was wondering if I could take it now" Tony said in an uneasy tone.

"You too?"

"I don't know what Kate told you about why she needs time off but I don't want her to be alone right now"

"Well, you're due vacation time and I don't want to loose two of my best agents but I can hardly say no" Jenny huffed.

"Thanks" Tony smiled as he got up from his seat.

"Just...make sure she's okay" Jenny shouted after him causing him to turn back to face her.

"I will" Tony replied before exiting her room.

And he would. He was going to devote the next few days or weeks, or however long Kate needed, to being there for her. We was going to be her shoulder to cry on, he was going to hold her hand when she needed it, pick her up when she needed it, even shout at her and give her tough love if that's what she needed.

Not only was he going to be there for Kate, he was going to be there for the girls too. He loved them more than anything. He had no idea how Kate was going to react, whether she'd be mad or thankful he was there, but no matter what he wasn't going to let her go through this alone.

He headed out the building and headed home. He threw several sets of clothes into a gym bag before jumping back in his car and heading to Kate's house.

**Not the best update but it's still an update;-) thanks fo all the awesome reviews in the last chapter! I'm glad you guys are liking the twins, I didn't know if you would or not but i'm so glad you do! Anyway, let me know what you think. Adios!**


	14. Chapter 14

Tony was surprised when he pulled up outside Kate's house. She was sat on her doorstep, her knees pulled tight into her chest and her face buried in her hands as her arms rested on her knees.

She hadn't even noticed that a car stopped outside her home and that Tony was now making his way up her drive.

"Kate?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Tony?" Kate looked up, her face was red and her eyes were puffy. Her brows knitted in confusion as to why Tony was on her doorstep.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked as he sat down next to Kate.

"Yes...no...I don't know" Kate sniffled. "I just...I mean...they're 6" a whole new wave of tears streamed down Kate's cheeks.

Tony wrapped his arm around Kate and pulled her close to him. He kissed her on the hop of her head before he hooked his finger under her chin and bought her gaze to meet his. His thumb ghosted across her cheeks wiping her tears away.

"I know this is hard for you Kate. I'm here, okay? I'm not going anyway" Tony whispered soothingly, his thumb gently stroking Kate's soft cheek.

"It's not just hard for me though" Kate sniffed. "They're six. Do they even know what death is? Do they understand it?... I haven't even told them yet, Tony. I can't bring myself to"

"Kate-"

"-Tony, she was more of a mother to them than I am. She was the one who raised them for six years. She's the one who looked after them when they were sick, who kissed away their boo boo's when they fell over, she was the one who cooked them dinner every night, who read them bedtime stories and tucked them in. And now, she's... How do I tell them Tony? I can't do that to them. They've been through enough already!" Kate was now staring down at her lap, unable to look Tony in the eye.

"Kate, look a me" Tony said, his own heart was broken so he knew how bad Kate must be hurting right now. Kate was reluctant at first, but once she felt Tony's fingers ghost over her lips before making their way to her chin once more, she turned to face him.

"I know this is hard for you, I know you're hurting but you're strong Kate. And so are the girls. I don't know if they understand death at 6...I doubt they do because nobody really understands it, but what six year olds do know is that there's a heaven. I'm not telling you how to raise your kids, but just tell them that that's where she's going. Tell them what they'd want to hear" Tony bit the inside of his lip, not really knowing if that was the best advice he could have given.

Kate looked up at Tony, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. Tears of sadness. Of fear. Of anger. Seeing Kate like this, so heartbroken and vulnerable broke his heart. It also broke his heart how often this side of Kate was coming out recently. Gently, he sweeped away a few stray strands of silky brown hair off her face before he placed a single kiss on Kate's forehead.

"You can do this, Kate. And if not, then I'll do it for you" Tony whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I have to do this, Tony. They're my daughters. I just, I just need a few more minutes. They need to be happy for just a few more minutes" a tear rolled down Kate's cheek and landed on Tony.

He wanted nothing more than to just hold her and kiss away all her pain. Tony placed another sweet kiss on Kate's forehead.

"I'm here and i'm not going anywhere. If you need me to hold your hand through anything, I will. If you need a shoulder to cry on, mines here. If you need someone to hold you and tell you everythings going to be okay, I'll be there. If you need someone to rant to, my ears are open. If you need a sparring partner, I'll call McGee and cheer you on" Tony said with a childish smile which in turn got the same smile from Kate.

Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, Kate more or less composed herself. She moved her head from where it was resting on Tony's and wiped her face with her hand.

"Thank you" Kate said sincerely as she half smiled at Tony. "What are you doing here anyway?" Kate asked hoping to change the subject.

"I wanted to be here for you and the girls so I took my vacation time early"

"Tony-"

"-No, Kate. I understand if you don't want me there, like i'm intruding on family but I can't just sit idly knowing how much you're hurting. How much the girls are hurting. I'm not letting you go through this alone" Tony's tone was almost pleading with her.

"You don't have to, Tony"

"I know" Tony took Kate's hand in his own, absent-mindedly stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "But I want to"

Kate brought Tony's hand to her lips and pressed them softly against his knuckles, their gaze almost burning holes in the other. Tony's other hand cupped Kate's cheek. Kate's eyes moved to his hand that was caressing her cheek then moved them back to Tony's face. Neither of them could over come their want. Their urge.

Tony leaned over and pressed his lips against Kate's. He could taste her tears, a mixture of sweet and salty. He felt her press back against his, welcoming his kiss. It wasn't a deep, firey passionate kiss, it was a soft, comforting, caring kiss. Full of love. But it still meant everything to them. Their kiss was short lived. Just as Tony's tongue brushed across Kate's bottom lip, a loud crash from inside the house tore them apart as they rushed inside the house.

"Mama's going to be so mad at you!" Lilly said pointing at the mess on the floor.

"What happened?!" Kate came rushing into the living room praying to any God who would listen her girls weren't hurt.

"Ooohhh, you two are in troubleeeee" Tony said in a childish, sing-song voice as he eyed the shattered glass and marbles on the floor and two _VERY_ guilty looking six year olds in front of the mess.

"We didn't mean to Mommy!" Amelia cried. "We just wanted to play with the marbles"

"I told you, they're not toys!" Kate huffed frustraedly. "But that's not important right now" Kate sighed again, bracing herself for what she was about to tell them. "You guys know Grandma is sick right?" Kate crouched down so she was eye-level with her mirror images.

"Yeaaaah" the girls responded.

"Well, she's got sicker and she's not going to get better"

"Why?"

"Sometimes people don't always get better. She's really sick and she's in the hospital" Kate could feel her cheeks getting hotter and hotter as her eyes began to fill with tears. "We're going to go and see her tomorrow. To say goodbye" Kate tried her hardest to hold back her tears.

"Why goodbye?" Amelia asked, her eyes mirroring her mothers.

"She's going to go to heaven" a tear rolled down Kate's cheek. "You guys know about heaven, right?"

"Uh huh"

"Well, that's where Grandma is going and we won't see her until we go to heaven ourselves"

"I don't want her to go!" Lilly cried.

"I don't want her to either, sweetie. But she has to" Kate wiped her daughters' cheeks with her thumb.

"Why?" Amelia cried.

"Because she's sick and she can't get better. But she's always going to be watching over us. She's going to be up in the sky watching over us and keeping us safe"

"Is she going to be with the stars?" Lilly sniffled.

"She's going to be the biggest, brightest star in the sky"

Kate wrapped her arms around her daughters' and pulled them tight into her chest. Their tears soaking through her shirt.

Tony watched the whole scene roll out, his heart breaking more and more at every word that Kate spoke, watching the twins' faces grow more and more sad and confused. He hated that this had to happen to them. Just when everything was starting to be good for the three of them, now their world was being ripped from under them and thrown in a blender. He was going to pick up every last piece of their word and be the glue that held it together. Kate picked up her still crying daughters and carried them to their bedroom and tucked them into bed. She stayed with them for a while, trying to comfort them. She needed someone to comfort her, to be there for her but right now she had to be strong for them. She waited until they had cried themselves to sleep before she exited their room. She walked back into her living room where Tony was in the middle of cleaning up the mess. Kate began to clean up the mess when she saw a giant pool of red circle around her on the floor. She looked down at her hand where a giant cut across her palm was gushing warm red liquid.

"Ow" Kate said almost in a trance. She couldn't feel the pain but she knew that it would hurt.

"Geez Kate!" Tony spat out his words as his eyes widened in shock. Without even thinking he yanked his t-shirt off and wrapped it around Kate's hand. "C'mon, let's go get this cleaned up" Tony smiled as he helped Kate up off the floor.

Still not saying anything, Kate slowly followed him into her kitchen.

"Here" Tony pointed towards the running tap as he held Kate's hand under the gushing water. He expected her to flinch in pain and was surprised when she didn't.

"You know you don't have to be brave. I know it hurts" Tony said worringly as he searched around for her first aid kit.

"It doesn't hurt" Kate replied, staring down at her hand.

"It doesn't?" Tony was completely shocked.

"No. You must be a good doctor" Kate smiled.

"Oh, i'm a very good doctor. My hands are magic" Tony shot Kate a dirty wink.

"Only you would know" Kate teased before she winced as the sudden throbbing in her hand became apparent.

"Sorry"

"Don't be. Its my fault. They've had their eyes on them ever since they got here. I've been meaning to move them, i've just been busy"

"It's nobody's fault, Kate. Now where's your first aid box?"

"In the bathroom cabinet"

Tony headed to Kate's bathroom where he rummaged around boxes of tampons, various creams and lotions that smelled heavenly, multiple types of tablets, and God knows what other women things until he found the green box with the white cross on the front. Box in hand he walked back into Kate's kitchen and placed the box on the counter and began to bandage Kate's hand, his eyes never leaving hers, hers never leaving his. Once Tony had finished with Kate's hand, he kissed the bandage and tidied up his mess. Kate had been in a stunned silence as she watched her shirtless friend work, she knew he was toned - he had to be in the job they did but still, she couldn't take her eyes away from his half naked physique.

"Well, I er, I'll come back in the morning" Tony said as he turned and headed for the door, his bloody t-shirt in one hand.

"Stay"


	15. Chapter 15

"Stay"

The words were out of Kate's mouth before she realised. They left a sweet taste in her mouth, they certainly weren't words she regretted.

"I don't want to be alone tonight. I, I can't" Kate's voice was nothing more than a whisper, her eyes were fixated in the floor below Tony's feet.

Tony didn't know what 'stay' meant exactly. Neither did Kate if she was honest. But they both knew it meant something, even if it was just him staying on the couch, it still meant something.

"Will you...will you hold me?" Kate asked.

Tony didn't know how to react, of course he wanted to hold her. He wanted to hold her and comfort her more than anything. To keep her safe. To be the only arms that ever held her again. He must have been thinking about holding Kate for too long because Kate took his silence as a 'no'.

"It, it doesnt-"

"-of course I will, Kate. I told you, i'm here for you, whatever you need"

A silent 'thank you' passed over Kate's lips before she took Tony's hand and lead him into her bedroom. Tony kicked off his shoes as Kate climbed into her bed. The thought that they would be in each others arms in a matter of seconds made them both feel warm and fuzzy inside. Tony hesitated for a second, just looking at Kate's bed. He had wanted to be invited into her bedroom and share a bed with her for so long, and now it was actually happening his heart began to race. With a smile, he climbed into the space next to her. Her sheets were so soft and smelled just as beautiful as she did. He pulled the duvet right over his chest before laying an arm out across the pillow for Kate so snuggle into him.

Kate shifted over to Tony and rested her head on his chest, the warmth of his bare skin engulfing her, his natural smell invading her senses. She smiled as she felt his arm wrap tightly around her and pull her close to him. She could hear his heart beat. It was irregular at first, very irregular. But after a few minutes it seemed to go back to normal. Tony's other hand reached under the sheet and pulled one of Kate's legs so that it was resting on his hip. There was now no space between their bodies whatsoever.

"What are you doing?" Kate laughed.

"Getting comfy" Tony smiled. "And besides, I've always wanted your legs wrapped around my waist"

Kate's laughter rippled through Tony's chest making his breath hitch. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard and felt, ever.

"Thank you" Kate said in a sleepy voice.

Tony didn't really know what to say to that so he chose to shift slightly and pull her closer to him before placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. Kate's arm that was resting on Tony's chest suddenly ghosted up to Tony's cheek, her gaze shortly following. She cupped his cheek, her thumb lightly stroking his cheek bone, and placed a chaste kiss on Tony's lips - maybe lingering a little longer than she should have - before she rested her head on his chest once more. Tony's heartbeat was now beating rather fast. Kate smiled softly knowing the effect of kissing him did the same thing to his heart as it did hers!

Kate tried to fight off her impending slumber but listening to Tony's heartbeat only fueled the sleep on and within minutes, she lost the fight.

Hearing Kate's breathing become deeper and heavier, Tony knew she was asleep. He placed another kiss on her head before he too fell asleep.

(-)

Tony awoke to something pounding on his chest. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was two tiny feet jumping up and down on his bare chest.

He sat up in the bed, his vision still blurry, and looked over at the clock on the bedside table.

" 'Melia, get off Tony" he heard Kate say, her voice still thick with sleep.

It took Tony a few moments to realize where he was. He tried his best but he couldn't suppress the giant smile that was now plastered all over his face. Man, he _loved _waking up next to Kate!

"Hey you!" Tony smiled pulling the six year old into a hug.

" 'Melia, its 4am" Kate huffed. "Go back to bed"

"I had a scary dream" the six year old said rubbing her eyes.

"C'mere" Tony motioned for Amelia to snuggle up to his side, which, like her mother, she gladly took and fell back to sleep in seconds.

It was dark, but Tony could still see the look on Kate's face.

"Don't worry" Tony smiled. "I haven't replaced you" Tony wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulders and pulled her to his chest once again.

Kate smiled as she resumed her position on Tony's chest.

A some point in the night, Amelia had turned to face Tony and was now holding her mothers hand across Tony's chest. Tony's head was rested on Kate's, his fingers lightly digging into Kate's side as he was protectively hugging her.

(-)

After what seemed like an incredibly rushed morning, they set off to the hospital where Kate's mother was. The drive was almost four hours and Tony had insisted he was going to drive. The girls were in the back seats, watching a movie off the portable DVD player Tony had found in the back of his car while Kate was leaning against the passenger window, just staring blankly at the road. Tony placed his hand on her knee and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Just as Tony's hand moved from her knee, Kate reached for it and interlocked their fingers. Tony's eyes never left the road, neither did Kate's. It was a small gesture but it meant a lot to the both of them. Just his touch was enough to soothe her.

Kate closed her eyes and when she opened them, what she thought was a second later, she was shocked to see her childhood town. She smiled for a second as they passed a park she had spent most of her youth in, but that smile was soon gone when she realized why she was here.

"Morning sleepy" Tony smiled as Kate stretched in her seat.

"How long was I out?" Kate asked, stretching her arm across her chest.

"About three hours. It's a good thing I had the radio to keep me entertained because the girls fell asleep five minutes after you did!"

Kate looked behind her seat to find the twins sleeping soundly in their car seats.

"Do you think I should have kept their routine?" Kate asked as she turned back around. "I mean, I've pulled them out of school for God knows how long, they've only just gotten used to things and now I've torn them apart" Kate scrubbed her face with her hands, the stress, tiredness, guilt and heartbreak were all apparent in her voice.

"Kate, you need to stop doubting yourself. You're a phenomenal mother" Tony said, his hand squeezing her knee once more. "You're doing everything you can and more. You don't doubt that you're an amazing agent and you shouldn't doubt that you're not an amazing mother either, Kate"

"Its just that my mother was the most amazing mum growing up, I loved my childhood and that's all they knew for six years and i'm nothing like that, I've tried to be but i'm just not"

"If you're going to compare yourself to other people then you're bound to have doubts and worries. Honestly Kate, I know what screwy parents are like, and you certainly aren't one! You're one of the best mothers ever and the sooner you believe in that, the better. And besides, if you want to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to my father. Then you'll see just how much of an amazing mother you are!"

Kate squeezed Tony's hand that had somehow found its way into her's somewhere in his speech. She was glad he was here right now, she couldn't do this without him.

"Say it" Tony said in a serious voice.

"Say what?" Kate asked, knitting her brows in confusion.

"That you're an amazing mother"

"Tony" Kate scoffed, not wanting to repeat it.

"Say it!"

"I can say it, it doesn't mean I'll mean it or believe it"

"Well, if you say something enough then one day you'll start to believe it, so just saying it once for me right now means we're one step closer to you actually believing it" Tony said with a smug smile.

"Have you been reading Ducky's psychology books?" Kate raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, I just don't like you seeing yourself like this when I see you as something else" Tony said honestly.

There was a silent moment between them before Kate broke it with the monotone words: 'I'm an amazing mother'.

"That's a start" Tony half smiled. "Soon you'll be saying it and meaning every word of it"

"Snowball's chance in hell!"

Before they even realized they had reached the hospital. Kate's heart sank and the goodish mood Tony had put her in was now long gone. The girls woke up just as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Kate sat staring at the dashboard for a few minutes trying to gather up enough courage to even move, let alone going inside and watching her mother die, before un-buckling her seat-belt.

"Hey" Tony said putting his hand on Kate's shoulder. "You got this"

Kate rested her cheek on Tony's hand. She could already feel the tears building up but she wanted to be strong. She had to be. If not for her family then for herself.

"You go up first" Tony started, Kate turning her head to look at him. "I'll bring the girls up in like an hour or so"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, besides, you can tell me what state she's in and I'll warn the girls before they see her"

"I'm really glad you're here, Tony" Kate sniffled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Tony pulled Kate into a hug, kissing her head and stroking her hair, gently shushing her and comforting her.

They walked into the hospital together, Kate headed to the information desk to find out what room her mother was in while Tony took the girls to the hospital cafeteria.

"What do you guys want?" Tony asked as they looked through a menu on one of the tables.

"I not really hungry" Lilly said.

"Me either" Amelia added.

"You guys have to eat something, you barely had any breakfast"

"Neither did you or mama"

"I know, that's why i'm eating something now and we can take your mama up a sandwich or something later" Tony smiled. "And anyway, I wouldn't pass this opportunity up, I mean, with me you can eat _anything_ you like" Tony said with a devilish smile on his face.

"Anything?!" The girls asked with huge smiles on their faces as their eyes lit up with excitement.

"Anything!" Tony said mirroring the enthusiasm they had.

What Kate had said to him last night had really registered with him. The girls were only six, they didn't really understand what was happening. They should be happy for as long as possible, and so, Tony was going to make them happy for the next hour until their world would shatter after seeing their dying grandmother who raised them and no doubt a very teary Kate.

"Is mama still sad?" Amelia looked up at Tony with the same big brown eyes as her mothers.

"She is" Tony said, his heart breaking slightly.

"I didn't like seeing her cry last night!"

"Me too" Lilly added.

"I don't like it when mama's sad!"

"I know you don't, sweetie. I don't either" Tony looked into the eyes of the twins he now loved as though they were his own.

"You make mama happy though!" Lilly said before she turned to her mirror image, both of them smiling at each other.

"She makes me happy too" Tony said to himself more than anyone else. "C'mon, let's go get some food" Tony stood up from his seat, taking the twins' hands in both of his own.

**You guys are seriously amazing! Keep the reviews coming! You guys interested in meeting Kate's parents and brothers in the next chapter?**


	16. Chapter 16

Tony's chest felt like it had impacted in on its self when he saw Kate standing outside her mothers hospital room. She was stood away from the window and looked as though she was about to be sick. It was clear that she was in shock and that she was trying to hold back her emotions, to be strong.

With a deep breath, Kate pushed herself off the wall and turned the corner to find Tony approaching with her daughters.

"Hey you guys!" Kate smiled, hiding her pain from her daughters.

As Kate wrapped her daughters into a tight embrace, they got distracted by their Uncle Tommy who walked out of Kate's mothers hospital room. Tommy took the girls to the coffee machine where Rachel, Joe and Rick were.

"Where's your mum?" Tony asked noticing the room behind them was empty.

"The nurses took her for a bath or something" Kate replied, she was almost in a trance.

"I know this is a stupid question...but, are you okay?" Tony looked Kate square in the eye.

"I thought I'd be able to handle it" a tear rolled down Kate's cheek. "I thought...I don't know, I mean, I know she would look bad but I never expected her to look that bad. She looks like she'll break if you touch her, Tony. She...she" Kate burst out into full blown tears and Tony pulled her into an embrace and cradled her as she cried into his chest.

Martha Todd watched the man comforting her daughter as she was being wheeled back to her room. She watched as Tony's hand stroked her daughters silky brown hair, his other hand wrapped around the bottom of her back, how he placed soft kisses on her daughters head while he whispered what she assumed were soothing words, how Kate's hand clutched the material of his shirt. If it wasn't for him holding her, Kate would probably be a wreck on the floor. Despite the situation, Martha couldn't help but smile.

Once the family saw Martha was back, they all headed back into her hospital room, Rachel had also noticed her little sister and Tony and she too had a slight smile on her face. Kate's brothers and father were all staring at Tony, Gibbs had nothing on Richard Todd!

"Well, I er, I'll wait in the car" Tony said to Kate before he turned to walk out the door.

"You can stay" an unfamiliar voice croaked. Tony turned back to see Martha Todd addressing him, the rest of the rooms eyes wide in shock. "You're nice to look at and i'm sure Caitlin would appreciate it if you stayed"

"I don't want to impose, I mean, i'm not exactly family" Tony replied.

"If you're there for Caitlin and my Granddaughters then you are family" Martha coughed.

Tony retook his seat next to Kate silently and flashing Martha a smile. As the day went on, the room became more and more crowded as Rachel's husband Mark and three children came, Rick Jnr's wife Jessica and son came, Joe's girlfriend Lana and step daughter came and Tommy's sons filled the room. The family chatted about old times. Tony couldn't believe that Kate was a trouble maker growing up, although, the fact that she ALWAYS beat the crap out of her older brothers didn't surprise him!

"Oh come on, it was an accident!" Kate defended herself.

"You locked me out, in the middle of a blizzard, all I was wearing was my pyjamas and told me you weren't going to let me in!" Tommy laughed.

"You did tell Dad that Kate had crashed his car into Mr Morris' and that's why she was working all them extra hours to pay him back" Rachel joined in.

"You crashed your father's car and then lied about it?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"That's not all she did in Dad's car and lied about it!" Rachel sniggered, receiving a death stare from Kate.

"What else did she do?" Joe asked.

"Nothing!" Kate spat.

"Keith Taylor" Rachel coughed.

"What?! I'm going to kill him!" Joe stood up, cracking his knuckles.

"Joe, sit down. It was 15 years ago!"

"What was 15 years ago?" Kate's father asked, not really following their conversation.

"Nothing Dad!"

When the nurse had come to the room at 6.30pm telling them visiting time was over, Kate flashed her badge and told the nurse she had personally protected the president for almost 4 years and that if she told them to leave once more, she would have her job. Granted, it wasn't Kate's proudest moment but it did the trick.

It was a little after 11pm and most of the people in the room had left. Joe had taken Amelia and Lilly with him and Lana to their house and Tommy, Rick Jnr and Rachel's families had gone back to their childhood homes.

Kate had fallen asleep on Tony's chest and Tony had snaked around her shoulders. Rick, Tommy and Rachel had all fallen asleep in their chairs around their mothers bed and Tony's father was asleep in his chair. Tony was about to fall asleep when the sound of coughing woke him up. Tony squinted his eyes to notice Martha reaching for the glass of water on the side.

"Here, let me get that for you" Tony smiled, leaning over a sleeping Kate and passing her mother the water.

"Thank you" Martha smiled before taking a sip of the water. "You and Caitlin seem close"

"I er, I suppose we are" Tony smiled, subconsciously squeezing Kate's shoulder.

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Oh we're not...no...I mean...we're just friends"

Kate's mother shot Tony a knowing look. A look he had seen a thousand times before from the woman asleep in his arms.

"I've seen the way you two are together, that's more than friendship"

"All partners are close, I mean we have to be-"

"-Do all partners have to be in love?" Tony was gob smacked. This was the last conversation he imagined would ever happen. Now he knew why Kate was so smart!

"We're not-" Tony tried to cover lamely.

"-I may be a dying old woman, but I know love when I see it! I've only ever seen Caitlin like this once before and well you may aswell write 'I love Caitlin' on your forehead because that would be less obvious!" Martha smiled before coughing.

Tony stayed silent but Martha read his face. "She likes you too, y'know"

"I think you're reading too much into things, Mrs Todd. We're close and I like Kate, a lot, but there's nothing going on" Tony tried to cover lamely.

"Well there should be!" Martha coughed and took another sip of water. "You two are so clearly in love and you're doing nothing about it. Believe me, life is too short - especially in your profession and you two should make the most of the time you have together!"

"Is it really that obvious?" Tony laughed.

"To every one but yourselves! You just need to tell her you love her!"

"Believe me, I want to, its just... There's never been a right moment and I don't even know if she feels the same way or even wants a relationship right now - especially one with me"

"You never know until you try"

Before Tony or Martha could say anything Kate stirred in her sleep and then woke up.

"What are you doing awake?" Kate asked her mother as she stretched her arms out in front of her.

"I was thirsty and then I had a very nice conversation with Tony" Kate's mother smiled, her voice was now even weaker and full of sleep.

"What about?" Kate narrowed her eyes sceptically.

"That's between me and him" Martha raised her eyebrows before she fell back asleep.

"What did you and my mum talk about?" Kate asked, looking up at Tony.

"You" Tony smiled.

"What about me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Tony teased. "Anyway, go back to sleep, you need it"

"I won't be able to even if I wanted" Kate huffed as her eyes rested on her sleeping mothers form. "I don't know what i'm going to do without her, Tony"

Tony pulled Kate closer to his chest and placed a soft kiss on her head. His mind was spinning with scenarios of him telling Kate how he felt, her saying she felt the same way, them finally breaking rule 12. Then his mind started filling with situations of it going badly. Kate not feeling the same way, things becoming awkward between them, him eventually loosing her in every way possible. He wanted to tell her, but right now certainly wasn't the time! She had far too much going on with her right now.

"I might go for a walk, you coming?" Kate asked Tony as she stood up from her seat.

"Sure... I don't want to be in here with your dad and brothers and no protection anyway!" Tony laughed as he looked around the room at Kate's sleeping family.

Kate couldn't help but laugh at Tony's last comment, he had completely changed once he met her father and brothers. The pair walked out of the room, carefully avoiding the sleeping obstacles that were Kate's family and headed down to the cafeteria.

"I hate being away from the girls" Kate huffed as she and Tony sat down at an empty table.

The rest of the cafeteria was dead apart from the odd doctor sat at a table having a coffee.

"You want me to drive you to Joe and Lana's?" Tony asked.

"No, they'll be asleep now anyway. Thank you though" Kate reached across the table and placed her hand on Tony's.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll see them tomorrow. Its just hard to be away from them. Especially with everything they're going through right now. You really helped them this morning, they wouldn't be able to get through this without you... I wouldn't be able to either"

"I know what you're going through, I went through it alone and there is no way in hell i'm going to let go through it alone" Tony replied solemnly before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

Kate and Tony sat in comfortanle silence while they finished their hot chocolate in the cafeteria, still holding hands across the table. Once they were finished, they headed back to Martha's room, where once they sat down, they fell back so sleep. Kate's head rested on Tony's shoulder, Tony's head tlted and resting on top of Kate's.

(-)

The next morning seemed like a blur for everyone. Martha had taken a turn for the worst, and now, her five already incredibly close and protective children, were now shouting to any doctor or nurse who would listen to make her okay. Kate hadn't moved from her chair next to her mother's bedside ever since her mother had taken the bad turn. While Martha was resting, Richard reluctantly decided to go for a walk, asking Tony to accompany him.

"I just want to thank you for being there for my girls" Richard smiled.

"I'm trying my best" Tony said uneasily, this man scared the crap out of him!

"I heard you and Martha talking last night" Richard said abruptly causing Tony to stop dead in his tracks.

"Y-you did?" Tony's eyes widened in fear.

"I did, I can't sleep unless Martha is lying next to me. I just want you to know that you have my blessing" Richard squeezed Tony's shoulder causing him to suddenly tense.

He had no idea what to say or what to do. He felt his palms start to sweat and his mouth go dry. Even though Richard had a slight smile on his face and his face seemed to relax a bit, he still scared the crap out of Tony (and always would).

"Anyone can see that there is something special and real between the two of you, but she's not as strong as she makes out to be. She's been hurt, bad and I don't want to see her go through that again - especially not at this moment in her life...but when the moment is right, and when you know she is the one, i want you to know that you have my blessing" Richard pated Tony on the shoulder before turning back on his heal and heading back to Martha's room.

Richard Todd's words were currently sinking into Tony's head as he realised hat they had walked out of the hospital and he was now standing at the enterance staring out upon the car park. He didn't exactaly know what Richard meant by 'his blessing' - did he mean he gave him the okay to ask Kate out, that he apporved of their relationship, that he gave Tony permission to propose to Kate or all three of them reasons, but all he knew was that he was glad that the silver haired former Navy Seal (who was like Gibbs on steroids when it came to being scary) gave him his blessing to be with Kate.

As Tony turned to walk back into the hospital, he saw Kate walking out to the parking lot, tears streaming down her face. She didn't notice him at first, but as soon as she did, she threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest as his arms wrapped tight andprotectivley around her, comforting and soothing her as she cried into his chest.

"I can't do this, Tony" Kate cried. "I thought I could handle it, but I can't"

"Hey-"

"-No Tony, you don't understand. This, everything, I can't do it. My daughter's worlds are about to shatter and it's all my fault. I gave them up and now... I'm a terrible daughter and I'm not even worthy enough to call myself a mother-"

"-HEY!" Tony grabbed Kate's shoulders, making her look at him. "What did I tell you about talking about yourself like that?! None of this is your fault, none of it! And you need to stop doubting yourself. You are perfect, Kate. You hear me? Perfect. You are an amazing mother and an amazing daughter and I don't know what I can do to prove it to you, but I am never going to stop trying - no I won't stop till you see it yourself! It kills me to hear you speak about yourself like that, Kate. You're the smartest, most beautiful person I know and why you believe those things about yourself...it's beyond me! Why you don't see yourself the way I see you...it's beyond me! Jesus Kate, I don't know how many more times I can hear you speak about yourself like that before...before I-" Tony brought his hands to his face, hiding his emotions from Kate, stopping him before he said something he shouldn't.

"You don't mean that, Tony. You just feel bad for me-"

"-You really think that's what this is?! You really think I just feel bad for you and thats why I've been here for you for months?! Why i've spent every second I can with you?!"

"Well why else would you?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, KATE!"

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you guys liked your Christmas present!  
Am I mean for leaving you on a cliffhanger, especially at Christmas? Maybe.  
Anyway, what did you think? Lemme know, thanks for getting me to 100 reviews. You guys are the best! Special thanks to DS2010 who was the 100th review, and also one of the very first people to review, wooooo! What do you think will happen next? What will Kate's recation be? Do we like Martha and Richard? Is it a good or a bad thing Tony blurted his feelings?**


	17. Chapter 17

_**"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, KATE!"**_

Time almost seemed to stop for the both of them. Tony wanted to grab his words mid air before they reached Kate. Kate was frozen, motionless as Tony's words hit her like five bullets to the chest.

Tony hadn't regretted telling Kate he loved her, he did however regret the way and situation in which he had told her. He had more or less screamed them at her in an ambulance bay while her mother was dying a few floors away.

It felt like an hour had passed, a long, silent, awkward, tense hour. But in reality only a few seconds had passed. Tony had turned away from Kate and was pacing on the spot, his hands on his head, his breathing heavy and uneven. When the awkward silence between them had gotten too much, Tony turned on his heel to walk away.

"Don't" Kate exhaled, causing Tony to stop dead in his tracks. "You can't just say something like that and walk away!"

Kate walked up behind Tony and got so close that her front pressed against his back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she laced her fingers with his. She could hear his heart beat, his breath hitched as soon as he felt her on him.

"I love you too" Kate whispered against Tony.

Tony spun around so he was facing Kate. He brought his hand up to her face, his thumb ghosting her soft cheek. Seeing her face was still wet from tears, so he placed soft kisses on either each cheek before she caught his lips. It was a soft kiss at first, they had kissed before but this time it was different, this time they had both admitted their feelings for the other. Tony's hands roamed Kate's back whilst Kate ran her hands through Tony's hair as their kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Tony's hands found themselves to Kate's cheeks where they rested as he pulled away, getting a puzzling look from the dark haired beauty mere centimetres away from his lips.

"This isn't a 'my mum is dying and i'm scared' type of thing is it?" Tony asked.

"Of course not, Tony!" Kate looked deep into his eyes and stroked his cheek reassuringly. "I mean, my mum _is_ dying and I _am_ scared and for most people, right now wouldn't be the right time for all of this to be going on, but we're not normal people Tony! My mum is 61 and she's dying! That's living proof that life is short! I don't want to waste another second of my life without you knowing that I love you. I've spent too long keeping it in, too many sleepless nights thinking about you, worrying that you won't feel the same. I love you, Tony and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you!"

Kate hadn't expected to say so much, especially so soon. She didn't even know she felt that way until the words were coming out of her mouth.

Tony's grin widened at Kate's speech. He loved her so much that he felt his heart would explode. Tony reached up and stroked Kate's hair away from her face, soaking up every single detail about her he could. His insides warmed as he saw the glisten in Kate's eyes as she saw him smiling. Tony re-captured Kate's lips once again, revelling in how right and amazing this felt.

He had never felt like this about anyone before. He had never had any intentions of being serious with a woman, but now, he wanted Kate to be the only woman he would ever kiss again. She had changed him for the better, she had been slowly doing it since the day he walked onto Air Force One.

(-)

Kate walked back up to her mother's room, hand in hand with Tony. She loved how her hand felt in his, how his thumb traced patterns on the back oh her hand. Tony loved how soft Kate's hands were, how small they were in comparison to his and yet how their fingers laced together perfectly. There was a comfortable silence between them, both absorbing the other in. Despite the fact her mother was dying, Kate was so blissfully happy at this moment in time. She felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her chest and was now replaced by butterflies.

They rounded the corner to see Kate's brothers, father and Rachel stood outside her mothers room, heartbroken, worried looks on their faces. Kate's grip on Tony's hand tightened as what was happened registered with her.

"Wha-whats going on?" Kate asked, the words almost refusing to leave her tongue.

None of Kate's family responded as they all stood staring into the room. Silence fell between them all and the only noise was the muffled medical jargon coming from inside the room and the sound of Kate's heart pounding in her ears. Kate moved to stand next to Rachel as she looked into her mothers room. Her mother was lying lifeless in her hospital bed , surrounded by the used packets from various syringes and other medicines. Kate almost threw up as she watched the doctors shock her mother. Her chest rose what looked like hundreds of metres off the bed and slammed back down, the shrill monotone beep of the flat line ringing out of the room.

Tony had stayed back but his eyes hadn't left Kate. Her hand and head was now pressed against the glass window as she watched it all fold out. Her body seemed to get smaller and smaller as every second of the flat line passed. He watched as a doctor walked out of the room and watched as Kate almost collapsed into herself. If it wasn't for Rachel, she would probably have collapsed into a heap on the floor. Rachel clung onto her baby sister, both comforting Kate and herself as she shot Tony a look. She knew that only Tony would be able to help Kate through this, and as much as she didn't want to let Kate go, she knew that being in Tony's protective and loving arms is exactly what she needed right now.

Tony placed a kiss on the top of Kate's head and stroked her hair as he embraced her, taking Rachel's hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze.


	18. Chapter 18

The past week was a blur for Kate, she felt like she had floated around everywhere. One minute she was watching her mother die right before her eyes, the next she was watching her casket being lowered into the ground. Now she found herself curled up in bed in Tony's embrace, staring at the ceiling almost in a trance. She hadn't even noticed that, like they had every single night since Martha passed, the twins had climbed into the bed with her and Tony and it was only when she felt the dig of nails penetrating her skin from Amelia clinging to her that tight that she even really realised that there was a world around her.

She knew loosing her mother would be hard, but she never in a million years thought it would be _this _hard. Today was by far the worst day of her life. Burying her mother, saying goodbye to her, knowing she would never see her again made it seem real to her. Her heart felt like it had the weight of the world crushing it that only seemed to get heavier by the second. Giving birth to twins, getting shot, getting beaten to a pulp, none of that pain even came near to the pain she was in right now.

With a sigh, Kate looked over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 5.53am. They were going to be up in 7 minutes to get ready to go back home. She almost smiled when she felt Tony stir in his sleep (which he too wasn't getting much of either as he was too worried about Kate) and pull her closer to him. Almost. Right now she didn't think she would ever smile again. She laced her fingers with Tony's which rested on her stomach, he was the only reason she hadn't completly lost it. He hadn't left her side once, he was always there for her to cry on when she needed it, he was there for the girls, he had meant what he had said, he was there for them and he wasn't going to let them go through it alone.

Despite the fact that her mother had died just a few minutes after, Kate was glad Tony had said he loved her, that she had said she loved him, when they did. If she hadn't had said it then, she probably wouldn't have said it at all after this.

***BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP***

Kate's hand hit the snooze button as the rest of her family awoke from their sleep.

"Morning" Tony smiled slightly. He couldn't help but smile when he woke up next to Kate.

"Morning" Kate replied, her voice thick with pain and heartbreak.

"How are you feeling today?" Tony asked, desperatley hoping she would feel even the tiniest bit better than she had been feeling the past week.

"The same" Kate answered, looking down at her lap and picking imaginary bits of lint off her pants.

"But hopefuly getting back into a routine of work and school will help, for both you and the girls"

"Hopefully"

Tony took Kate's hand in his and gave it a loving squeeze before he got out of bed and helped the girls get ready. Kate watched as, even though they were hurting probably as much as she was, Lilly and Amelia were laughing and smiling as they held Tony's hands as they exited the bedroom. After about five minutes, Kate got out of bed, threw on her mothers jumper which she had worn everyday for the past week along with a pair of Tony's sweats which she had grown fond of and started to pack up their belongings.

(-)

After an **emotional **goodbye, Kate not really wanting to leave her family or childhood home, they headed back home. The girls had fallen back asleep in the back of the car whilst, as she had done days earlier on their journey there, Kate stared out of the window, counting the various tree's that lined their path as well as watching the white road markings wizz past them at what looked like 1000 miles per hour, whilst Tony drove, keeping his eyes on both the road and the three most important people in his life.

It was a long drive and the stone cold silence made it seem even longer. Tony had anticipated that they would have to stop several times for pee breaks and for food but they were three hours into the journey and the girls hadn't woken up once and Kate had drifted off, or at least he had hoped she was asleep anyway, so now they were ahead of schedule by almost an hour! Tony's stomach got the better of him and so he decided to pull into the nearest McDonalds Drive-Thru and buy himself a coffe and whatever breakfast they had on the menu. Even though he knew Kate hated fast food and didn't like the girls eating it, he bought them something to eat when they woke up too, figuring food, whether health or not, would be better than nothing. As soon as the aroma of the food filled the car, Kate, Amelia and Lilly all woke up.

"I know you don't like fast food but food is food" Tony scrunched his face up, not really sure how Kate was going to react.

"It's fine, thank you" Kate took a sip of her coffee before eyeing her daughters in the mirror. "Did you two thank Tony?"

"Thank you, Tony!" The twins replied in unison, their tiny mouths full with bacon McMuffins.

"Anything for my three favourite ladies"

"Don't let Gibbs hear you talking like that!" Kate scoffed. "He has been not-so-subtley dropping his infamous 'Rule 12' to us for the past four years!"

"Well, we haven't technically broken that rule"

"Yet"

Tony's eyes widened at Kate's response. He certainly wasn't expecting a response like that!

He couldn't help but smile internally at Kate's improved mood. He had no idea how long it would last and he hoped he could make it last for a long time. A very long time.

"Okay, you really shouldn't put _those _kind of thoughts into my head whilst i'm driving" tony laughed, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went white at the thought of them finally breaking rule 12.

"I could do it when you're holding your gun" Kate raised her eyebrows teasingly.

Something had gotten into Kate and he didn't know whether to be worried or excited. He never in a million years thought Kate was capable of being such a tease!

"Caitlin Todd, there are children present!" Tony scolded playfully.

(-)

The rest of the car journey was filled with the playful back and forth banter between Kate and Tony. She had yet to smile or laugh, but still, all things considered, Kate was in a good mood. Her mood had obviously had an effect on the twins as they asked if they could go to school today and after dropping them off on their way, Tony pulled up outside Kate's house.

"Are you going into work today?" Kate asked, still sat in the passenger seat.

"I'm not sure...actually, i'm not sure what I even planned to do when we got back" Tony laughed. "Why? Are you up for going back in already?" Tony asked in shock.

"I was thinking of just popping in to see Abby, she's been texting me all week and I just want to let her know i'm okay"

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, Tony. You've been amazing - more than amazing - this past week and I can't thank you enough but you should go home and rest or play video games or something"

"Only if you let me come over and cook you dinner!" Tony smiled.

"Deal"

(-)

Before the giant metal elevator doors were even open, Abby had her arms around Kate in a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you too, Abbs"

"I'm _so _sorry, Kate" Abby looked at Kate with puppy-dog eyes.

"Thanks"

"How're you feeling?"

"Actually Abbs, I don't really want to talk about it. No offense, it's just, if I think about it it hurts and then I get all depressed and i'll probaby cry again"

"None taken. But just so you know, i'm here if you need someone to cry on!"

"Thanks Abbs, that means a lot!"

"So anyway..." Abby pulled Kate by the hand into her lab and sat her into a chair. "While you were gone I might have slept with McGee...again" Abby said biting her black lip.

"ABBY!" Kate exclaimed with wide eyes. "What? When? How?"

"Well, y'know how it is... we had just cracked this, and I mean it when I say it, ridicoulously hard case that involved us hacking into the Pentagon and we went out to celebrate and I told him about my new tat and he wanted to see it and the next thing I knew I woke up in bed with McGee, naked"

"In your coffin?"

"Where else?!" Abby looked at Kate as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What did Gibbs say?"

"McGee got a slap to the back of the head but the hinky thing is, I don't even know how he found out!"

"I know everything!" the silver haired man appeared in the doorframe.

"What are you doing down here?" Abby asked.

"Heard Kate was back" Gibbs turned to the brunette haired agent. "How're you doing?"

"I've been better" Kate sighed. "But i'm ready to come back on Monday"

"Are you sure?"

"I need something to take my mind off it all, and besides, the sooner I can get that probation over with the better!"

"Oooohhh, I completley forgot about that!" Abby scoffed before taking a sip from her Caf-Pow.

"As long as you're ready" Gibbs shot Kate a genuine smile before heading back upstairs.

"Anyway, so you and McGee, is this going to become a thing?"

"I don't know"

"But you like him, right?"

"Sure, I mean, he's Timmy. Everyone likes him!"

"Yeah, but you like him in the 'lets have sex in my coffin bed' kind of way!"

"I just, I mean, it never worked out the last time and I don't want to ruin our friendship" Abby huffed.

"Believe me, life's too short! If you love someone, tell them"

"I don't _love _McGee!"

Kate raised her eyebrows in a both knowing and scolding way.

"Okay fine... but he doesn't love me"

Kate shot Abby the same look she had shot her just five seconds before.

"Geez Kate! I'd hate to be interrorgated by you!" Abby laughed. "Oh, speaking of love, do you know about Tony?"

"Know what about Tony?"

"That he's in love" Abby smiled.

"With who?" Kate played along.

"See, that part I can't figure out. But it's not his usual type. Oh no. She's a single mom, of two! And she's a mature, together kind of woman from the way Tony went on and on about her"

"Tony told you? When?"

"Well, more like I guessed and then pried the information out of him. Just before you guys went away. Oh Kate, you should have seen him. He was gushing about her and he got all nervous and insecure that she wouldn't like him back. I've never seen him like that. This woman is really something!" Abby beamed. "I always thought you guys would end up together though" she added.

"You did?"

"Yeah! Everyone does! Even Ziva. She even asked me if you guys were together when she first came here! I think deeo down, even Gibbs wants you two together-"

"-Abby"

"What?! He's a big softie deep down! That's why McGee is still alive"

(-)

He had only been away from Kate for an hour and already he missed her. He missed her to the point where his chest physically ached. He hadn't been in his own apartment for so long, it seemed alien to him. He felt like he didn't belong there anymore. Not without Kate and the twins anyway. His life seemed somewhat empty without them in it, even if it was only for a few hours.

The past week had been both emotionally and physically draining for him. He didn't know that those kind of emotions could exist, or that if they did that he would ever in a million years be feeling them himself. He settled deeper into the couch when he felt something poke his leg. He rumaged in his pants pocket and pulled out a crumpled peice of paper. He had forgotten all about that! One of Martha's nurses had given it to him and he had been too busy worrying about Kate and the girls that he had forgotten all about it. He straightened the paper out and started reading it.

_If you're reading this, then sadly, I have passed. Tony, life is too short for you not to tell Caitlin about your feelings towards her. For years I have listened to her stories about you. Granted, they were always in a negative way, but there was always something in her tone of voice or a sparkle in her eye that let anyone know that no matter how much you two would bicker, that that was merely some kind of foreplay. And yes, I did just refer to the relationship you have with my youngest daughter as 'foreplay'. _

_I told you this earlier, but I have never seen Caitlin so relaxed around someone before. Especially after being hurt, badly, once before. Both Richard and I can see you bring out the best in one another, and although he is a frightening man, Richard agree's with me on this matter. We both want Caitlin to be happy, and again, as I said before, life is too short for you to both waste it by not telling eachother how you feel._

_I know you are a good man and I know that once you and Kate admit what is blindingly obvious to everyone else on the planet, then you will live a long and happy life together! It is clear that you two are meant to be, and i'm glad I got to spend my last days seeing my daughter so happy. So please, in the nicest way possible, strap on a pair and tell Caitlin you love her!_

Tony couldn't help but laugh aloud as he read Martha's letter. He liked to think that Martha was looking down on her daughter, on them both, and smiling. He crumpled the note back up and put it in one of his draws before heading back to the sofa to watch his James Bond box set with a huge, goofy grin on his face.

**Okay, I know there was quite a lot of things happening in that chapter. I did originally have other idea's for Kate but chose to go in a different direction as what I originally had planned, I wouldn't be able to write the way it should be written (if that makes any sense?) but I hope you liked the chapter anyway! Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are genuinely amazing! Please keep them coming! Let me know what you think! Peace out xo**


	19. Chapter 19

Kate gnawed at the inside of her cheek nervously, almost chewing a hole through it. She had never felt this sick and nervous in...ever. She had been back to work for almost three weeks, she was now off probation and everything seemed to be back to normal. Apart from the fact she and Tony were together, they still hadn't broken Rule 12 yet, but they were together and he was more or less living with her and the girls.

Wanting to move on with her life and be happy -no more secrets- she and Tony had asked Gibbs if he would meet them for a coffee on Saturday morning.

Sitting at the table waiting for the silver haired man, both Kate and Tony were almost shaking, sick to their stomachs.

"Its going to be okay" Tony smiled at Kate, re-assuring not only her but also himself.

"You don't know that, Tony. What if he fires us?"

"And why would I do that?" Gibbs asked as he rounded the corner. "Because you two are breaking Rule 12?!"

Kate and Tony's eyes widened in shock.

"We..er, we're not, he haven't technically-" Kate fumbled on her words.

"-I'm not angry if that's what you're thinking" Gibbs said uncharacteristically.

"You're not?" Tony asked.

"No. I'm not surprised it happened between you. I'm surprised it took so long to actually happen. You two, despite your bickering, are good for each other. As long as you leave your home life at home, I'm okay with it"

"Good" Tony smiled. "Because I want you to know, I love Kate. More than life its self. This isn't just some fling. I'm in this for the long haul and nothing and nobody is going to stop me" Tony took Kate's hand in his own.

Gibbs couldn't help but smile internally. For years he had been waiting for this to happen and to be honest, he was happy it finally did. He could see the pair in front of him visibly relax and un-tense at their 'secret' being out in the open, however they both still looked like they had the weight of the world pressing down on their shoulders, Kate especially.

"Gibbs er...there's something else I need to tell you" Kate said in a low voice, almost ashamed of what was about to come out of her mouth.

"Go on" Gibbs replied, literally having no idea what was coming next.

"Well er... A few years ago, before I started working here I er...well, I was in love with this guy who turned out to be an ass and I kind of fell pregnant. I just want you to know -need you to know- that this wasn't an easy decision, but I ended up alone with a baby...twins. Girls. Amelia and Lilly, and I was scared and wanted them to have the best life possible and I knew, thought I knew, that that wasn't possible, that I couldn't give them the best life possible so my parents ended up raising them for the past 6 years...that was until a few months ago when my mother got too ill" by now Kate was rambling and Gibbs was stunned. "I have children Gibbs, I am a mother and I know I shouldn't have kept that from you, but I was ashamed. Not of them, of myself. Ashamed of what I did, ashamed that I was cowardly but now I've got to prove to myself that I am worthy of them, and I can't hide them any more. I love them more than words can explain, and I know you must think I am some sort of horrible excuse for a human, just giving away the two greatest things that could ever happen to me, and believe me, you of all people have the right to think that, but at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing for them and I just...oh God I'm rambling and you hate me"

Kate felt like she was going to explode, Gibbs was just staring at her, into her soul. She felt Tony's thumb graze against her knuckles and that he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"You're a mother" Gibbs said more to himself than Kate, processing this new bomb Kate had just dropped. "When do I get to meet them?" Gibbs asked with a genuine smile.

(-)

Kate and Tony walked into Abby's lab the following Monday. The weekend had been the best one in so long. Gibbs had been so accepting of both their relationship and the fact that they were parents. He had even met the girls over the weekend and the three of them instantly fell in love. Now it was time to tell Abby.

"Hey you guys, what's up?" Abby asked. "Is Gibbs okay? What happened? Is it McGee? Please don't tell me it's something bad" Abby started ranting, her mind going to all the worst places as to why the two agents could be in her lab when they had no active case.

"Geez Abbs, nothing like that!" Kate laughed. "No this is good...I hope"

"Ooohhhh, do tell!" Abby beamed and clapped excitedly.

"Me and Kate, well, we're together. A couple" Tony smiled, wrapping his arm around the tiny woman's shoulders.

"Shut up" Abby laughed.

"No Abbs, we're serious. I love Tony and he loves me" Kate looked up into Tony's eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

"But Tony's in love with somebody who has children" Abby said, not believing a word they were saying.

"That's the other thing I have to tell you" Kate looked at her shoes. "I have twin daughters...please don't ask because it hurts too much to think about...but I'm a mother to twin girls"

"KATE!" Abby exclaimed with a smile on her face. "You're a Mom?! I'm an auntie?! Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

"And I'm a Daddy!" Tony smiled.

Kate nearly passed out when she heard that. She had never heard tony address himself as the twins' father, now they were together he technically was, but they had never discussed it. Her heart seemed to swell and she wanted nothing more than to jump on him and kiss him.

Abby pulled her colleagues into a hug, squeezing them so tight they thought their eyes were going to pop out of their heads.

"You up for meeting them?" Kate laughed as Abby seemed to get even more excited.

"Duh!" Abby spat.

"Hey girls, there's someone else you need to meet!" Tony called out.

Amelia and Lilly walked into Abby's lab, nervously holding the other's hand. Abby smiled as she saw the two mini Kate's walk into her lab.

"Hi" Abby smiled and waved. "I'm your Auntie Abby"

"I'm Amelia and that's Lilly" Amelia smiled sheepishly as she pointed to her twin.

"I like your shoes" Lilly smiled.

Kate and Tony warmed at the sight. They were amazed how well the girls took to Gibbs and how well he took to them! And now to see them already getting on so well with Abby was just making them ecstatic. Kate never thought she would smile, ever again, but seeing her girls with Gibbs for the first time, she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, the very same smile on her face right now watching Abby interact with her daughters.

"Daddy huh?" Kate raised her eyebrows at Tony.

"That wasn't over-stepping was it?" Tony asked.

"Not if you meant it" Kate smiled.

"I love them like they are my own, Kate" Tony smiled back before placing a sweet kiss on Kate's lips, that didn't go unnoticed by Abby as she chatted away to her new 'nieces'.

**Okay, I know this isn't the best written chapter but ah well, HAPPY TATE, YAAAY! What do you think of how Gibbs and Abby reacted? Let me know, thanks for all the reviews. Please keep them coming! Love ya's xo**


	20. Chapter 20

"So, who is it?" Tony laughed as he held Kate in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Who is who?" Kate asked, having no idea what her boyfriend was talking about.

"The girls' biological father" Tony said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"He's not important" Kate shrugged it off, not wanting to talk about it.

"I bet it was the president!" Tony laughed. "Caitlin Todd, you naughty little minx!"

"It was not the president Tony!" Kate laughed. "Honestly, he's not somebody I want to waste my breath on-"

"-He's really _that _ bad?" Tony asked, his tone now serious. "What did he do to you, Kate?!" Tony grew angry, God he hated this man!

"He just... He really isn't worth it, Tony"

"Kate please, you know you can tell me anything. I just, I want to know what he did. How he ever left you because I cannot for the life of me understand how he could leave you or his unborn child!" Tony cupped Kate's cheek and looked deep into her brown eyes.

"He... I thought he was the one. I thought we were going to get married and grow old together. I was so in love with him and when I found out I was pregnant, I was over the moon. I, I couldn't wait to tell him, I thought he'd be just as excited as I was... Instead he gave me a couple hundred dollars and dropped me off at the nearest clinic to 'take care of it' " Kate said, her heart almost breaking at the thought of it, Tony getting angrier and angrier with each word. "...that was the last I saw of him. I mean, I wanted to put his name on their birth certificates but he wouldn't let me. He doesn't even know their names or anything"

Tony clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white and his blood boiling. If he ever came across this man, he was going to beat the crap out of him!

Kate withheld the fact that Jimmy had tried to weasel his way back into the girls' lives as soon as he heard that he would receive money from Kate if he was their guardian. No, that would send Tony over the edge!

"Kate" Tony looked at her. "I'm _so _sorry" he said with nothing but sincerity and anger in his voice.

"Don't be" Kate took his huge hand in her tiny one. "If it wasn't for him being a prick, I never would have fallen in love with you!" She flashed one of her infamous dimple-clad smiles before leaning in and kissing him lightly.

"Mommy!" The girls came bustling into the living room jumping on the couch to sit in-between Kate and Tony.

"I wanna sit next to Tony!" Amelia huffed slapping her twin.

"Hey! No hitting!" Tony scolded. "Amelia, you can sit this side of me" Tony patted the other side of him.

"When can we see Ganpa Gibbs again?!" Lilly pouted.

"_Grandpa_ Gibbs?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "Does he know you call him that?"

"Yeah! He said 'you two can call me Grandpa Gibbs'" Amelia looked at her mother as though she were stupid.

Both Kate and Tony smiled at the thought of Gibbs being a Grandfather figure to the girls, he was after all the closest thing to a father Tony had ever known, even been a father figure to Kate these past few years. "Can we come visit you in work tomorrow?" Lilly gave her best puppy-dog eyes at Kate, Amelia working them towards Tony.

"We'll have to see" Kate smiled, she could never say no whenever they flashed them giant brown eyes.

"Yaaaaaay!" Amelia smiled and clapped excitedly.

"I miss Ganpa Gibbs and Auntie Abby and Ziva and Unc Timmy!" Lilly sighed.

"Well they miss you too, baby girl" Tony ruffled his daughters hair.

The rest of the night was a pretty standard one for the family. Kate gave the girls a bath while Tony cooked dinner for the family, they ate their dinner in front of the TV while watching Finding Nemo for what seemed to be the 1000000th time, Tony put the girls to bed while Kate had a bath and by 8:30 Tony and Kate had passed out in each others arms on the couch. Tony hadn't been to his apartment in what felt like years. He never really wanted to go back there, not without his three girls anyway!

"Mama! Tony! Wake uuuuuuuupppppp!" Amelia woke her parents up by jumping all over them as they slept on the couch.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Kate yawned before she got a tiny foot in her mouth. "Ugh, c'mon baby, let's go get you some breakfast!" She huffed as she stretched the kinks out of her back and headed to the kitchen with her daughter.

Tony sat up on the couch and yawned. It was still pitch black and he would never get used to being awake this early! He followed Kate and Amelia into the kitchen, immediately squinting as the light seemed to temporarily blind him.

"Morning beautiful" Tony smiled as he pressed his front to Kate's back and snaked his arms around her hips and kissing her neck.

"Morning" Kate smiled as she leaned her head on Tony's, kissing his cheek as she did.

"Morning sweetie!" Tony smiled at Amelia before picking her up and placing her in his hip.

"Morning Tony!" Amelia smiled as she wrapped her tiny arms around Tony's neck. "We go wake Lilly up?"

"Give her 10 more minutes and if she's not up we'll go and wake her up" Tony smiled sweetly, holding Amelia with one arm and helping Kate with the other free one.

"You two go and sit down and I'll finish breakfast" Tony said noticing Kate looked more tired than usual this morning, they really did need to stop falling asleep on the sofa!

"Are you sure Tony? I mean I'm almost done-"

"-Go and sit down" Tony smiled before placing a kiss on Kate's lips.

Just as Kate and Amelia walked out the kitchen, they were greeted with a still half asleep Lilly sat at the table.

"Morning sleepy head!" Kate laughed.

Kate and Tony's morning routine was more or less the same as their night time one. Tony would get the girls dressed for school while Kate packed their lunches, the girls would watch cartoons for half an hour while Kate and Tony got ready for work and then they would head to work, dropping the twins off at school on their way. Today however, they were leaving an hour earlier so the girls could spend time with their newly acquired family members.

"ZIVAAAA" the girls screamed as they ran toward the Israeli in the car park.

"Hello you two!" Ziva smiled, wrapping her arms around the girls and squeezing them tightly.

"We missed you Auntie Ziva!" Amelia pouted, hugging her even tighter.

"I missed you too! How have you been?"

Kate and Tony smiled at Ziva as a greeting as they walked behind her and the twins into the building.

"She's a natural!" Kate smiled warmly, watching her colleague and friend with her daughters.

"She'll be teaching them her Ninja self defence moves again soon!" Tony laughed as the memory of her teaching them how to protect themselves popped into his head.

Kate just laughed as she relived the memory.

"Thank you" Kate smiled as she took Tony's hand in hers.

"For what?"

"For everything. Four months ago I never would have thought this..." Kate gestured to Ziva, McGee and Gibbs chatting with the girls in the middle of the bullpen "would ever have happened. I'd probably be out of a job and drowning being a single mother to twins if it wasn't for you, Tony. You saved my life. You saved their lives!" Kate smiled.

Tony said nothing, he instead wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulders and kissed the temple of her head. Man he loved his life right now!

**Hope you liked the update! Sorry it was so short, been so stuck for ideas and stuff lately. Anyway, how do we like the Daddy side to Tony? (Also, how adorable were him and Ziva babysitting please?!) Do you think Jimmy(the twins' bio father) is going to come back intot he picture? Thanks for the amazing reviews on the last chapter, please keep them coming! Love ya xo**


	21. Chapter 21

Kate's father, brothers and their family had all come in to celebrate the twins' birthday this weekend. The pain of loosing their mother still new and fresh, spending time together whenever they could helped them all heal. With it being Amelia and Lilly's first birthday without their Grandmother present, the whole family wanted their days to be special. They deserved it after everything they'd been through this past year. Kate too. Kate and Tony spared no expense when it came to their presents and party. They had hired the biggest bouncy castle they could find, bought the cutest birthday cake in the shape of a fairytale castle, and all the presents two little girls could dream of.

Kate and Tony had only been in bed for two hours when the girls came bustling into their bedroom at 5am, jumping all over the bed and screaming 'It's our birthday!'.

Kate and Tony followed their daughters' out their bedroom and into the living room where their presents were. The room was almost bursting at the seems with pretty pink wrapped boxes. The girls dove into the boxes head first, paper and ribbons flying every which way whilst Tony and Kate sat on the sofa watching the girls unwrap their gifts. The four of them were absolutely beaming, the girls ecstatic with their presents, Kate and Tony melting inside at how happy the girls were.

"You did good, babe!" Tony smiled.

"_We_ did good" Kate smiled back, correcting the love of her life.

Kate's family started arriving shortly after 9am. First to arrive was Rick, his wife Jessica and their son Max, next to arrive was Joe, his fiance Lana and his step-daughter Callie. Tommy and his sons Jack and Alex arrived an hour later and Rachel, her husband Mark and their children Leo, Jennifer and Ella arrived an hour before the party started. Tony had gone to pick Kate's father up from the airport and had told him that he and Kate were now an item. Richard Todd had felt happy for the first time since his wife died.

Tony had met them all before but he couldn't remember the names of Kate's 7 nieces and nephews! Their other family was also coming to the twins' party. Abby arrived early and full of energy, almost looking as though she was going to explode with excitement as she gave the twins their present.

"Abbs, why is the box growling?" Kate asked, even though she knew full well there was a puppy in there.

"And why does it have airholes?!" Tony added.

"A puppy?!" Lilly squealed with joy as a tiny white coloured silky Jack Russel puppy jumped from the box and into the twins' arms, licking them excitedly.

"Really Abbs?!" Kate sighed, knowing she was now going to be stuck with the puppy.

"I couldn't resist! He was so adorable and hyper!" Abby smiled innocently.

"Can we keep him?!" Lilly asked.

"Please Mommy!" Amelia added, both the twins, the puppy and Abby shooting Kate puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine!" Kate huffed. "But when it poops on the floor you guys have to clean it up!"

"We will!" Both girls said in unison.

"So, what are you going to name him?" Abby asked with a huge smile on her lips.

"Noodles!" Amelia spat happily.

"Noodles?" Kate raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"Yeah!" Lilly smiled, liking the name her twin had picked.

"Only if you're sure!" Kate laughed.

Within the next hour, Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, Ducky and much to their surprise, Jenny had arrived, all baring giant gifts for the both of them.

Most of the adults were on the lawn, drinking the alcoholic beverages Kate and Tony had left out, or eating the barbecue food Rick and Tommy were making whilst the children were running wild on the bouncy castle or playing with the puppy. Kate's father was sat in a quiet corner of the garden with Gibbs and Ducky, Abby was on the bouncy castle with the children whilst Ziva, Jenny and McGee seemed to be mingling with Kate's brothers, their families and the other parents of the children at the party. Kate and Tony however, were busy in the kitchen.

"Okay, can you take these out?" Kate asked, signalling to a tray full of bowls of icecream, Tony nodding in agreement. "Oh but be careful, there's one kid out there that's lactose intolerant, I don't know which one though, it could be that skinny, geeky looking ginger kid that looks like he's allergic to everything but who knows!" Kate added, as she was checking on the kids' pizza's in the oven. "Oh!" Kate called out as Tony was halfway out the kitchen causing him to turn back and look at her "There's some kid named Jake who's not allowed icecream because he has like crazy ADHD"

"Got it!" Tony said as he exited the kitchen and carried on into the garden, relaying what Kate had just said over and over in his head.

Kate watched from the kitchen window, a giant smile on her face as 30+ kids and their ne puppy, Nooles all ran to Tony at the same time all excited for icecream. She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips as Tony lost his footing and fell backwards.

"Hey little sis" Rachel smiled as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey Rach, is everything okay?" Kate asked as she took the pizza out of the oven.

"I'm fine" Rachel laughed. "But you and Tony looked swamped! Do you need any help?"

"We're fi-"

"-Kate, I know how stressful these things are. I have three kids of my own. So tell me, what do you need help with?"

"Well, could you take these trays out and put them on the kids food table?" Kate asked, pointing to the trays of sandwiches, sausage rolls and pizza's.

"Sure!" Rachel said with a smile. "Oh God!" She said as the sight outside caught her eye.

"What?" Kate asked as she followed her elder sisters eyeline to Rick Jnr, Tommy and Joe all walking up to Tony, doing their best 'tough guy' walk.

"They're going to give him the 'you hurt my little sister, I'm going to beat the crap out of you!' talk!" Rachel sniggered.

"Hey guys, is everything okay?" Tony asked, waving the empty tray in his hands.

"We're gonna lay down some rules!" Tommy said in a gruff, serious voice.

"Okaaaaaay?" Tony replied.

"You hurt little Katie in any way, I swear to God the three of us are gonna drive down here and beat the crap out of you!" Rick Jnr narrowed his eyes at Tony. "She's already been hurt and if you ever even think about hurting her or those two little girls-"

"-Look guys, I am never, _ever _going to hurt Kate, okay? Or the girls! I love the three of them more than anything. They're the best thing that's ever happened in my life and I am not going to do anything to ruin that!" Tony said more firmly than he would have liked, probably due to the fact he meant every single word and the idea of ever hurting Kate or the twins was absolutely absurd!

Rick Jnr, Joe and Tommy all liked Tony, a lot actually and thought he was a good guy, but still, Kate was their little sister and they were going to give Tony the typical big brother speech. They were all still pissed off to the point where they would kill him, with Jimmy and they always would be.

"Okay. Good!" Joe crossed his arms across his chest and looked Tony square in the eye.

"Is this over?" Tony asked, not in a mean way but he really was busy right now "...because I need to get back to the kitchen"

"We're done" Rick Jnr, the eldest of them all, brotherly tapped Tony's shoulder.

Tony passed Rachel as he was entering the kitchen to a Kate who was not trying to hide he amusement.

"So you saw?" Tony laughed., slightly embarrsed by the whole situation.

"What? How the Todd Brother Mafia tried to shake you down?" Kate laughed, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yes! That!" Tony laughed, snaking his arms around Kate's hips and pulling her close to him.

"Don't worry, they've been doing it since I was 13! They even cornered Mark in a dark alley when Rachel started dating him! This must mean they like you" Kate smiled.

"The Todd's can't escape the DiNozzo charm" Tony smiled cheekily.

Kate smiled before pulling Tony's neck down and kissing him, her arms tightening slightly around his neck before resting their foreheads together. _That damn DiNozzo charm!_

"Oh my God, awwwww! You guys are so cute!" Abby squealed from the kitchen doorway. "You're like a real couple!"

"We _are_ a real couple, Abbs!" Tony kissed Kate's cheek before pouring the juice into jugs.

"You know what I mean!" Abby shrugged it off.

"Is there anything you need?" Kate asked.

"Oh yeah, some kid... Evan? Fell over and cut his knee, I just wanted to know where your first aid box was"

"Its in the cupboard" Kate got the plastic green box out and handed it to Abby. "Is he okay?"

"Oh he's fine, its just a scrape!" Abby smiled. "Ziva's the one who's freaking out!" She laughed before heading back outside to put a plaster on said child's knee.

Kate placed candles all around the giant pink castle cake and lit them as Tony carried the cake outside. Everyone gathered round to sing Happy Birthday to Lilly and Amelia (even Gibbs sang!) and Kate snapped photo's of the girls blowing the candles out, trying, and failing not to cry. Once they had blown out their candles, the kids (and Abby) went back to playing on the bouncy castle and Kate and Tony decided they deserved half an hour to relax with a beer. Kate sat in a chair next to her sister-in-law Jessica, Tony playing football with Kate's brothers and Rachel's husband, Mark.

"Your Dad is really enjoying himself!" Jessica smiled, looking over to the quiet corner where the three gray haired men sat.

Kate and Jessica had always been close. She had been in her life for as long as she could remember. Jessica had been with Rick since they were 14, Kate only being 5 at the time. They had their first child, Olivia when they were only 19 and they had been married ever since. Kate couldn't remember a time when Jessica and Rick weren't happy. They were literally perfect for each other. Kind of like her and Tony.

"He is?" Kate asked. "I've hardly seen him today!"

"Yeah, obviously he's been taking the whole thing pretty bad. We've been popping in to see him twice a week and being with you and the girls and seeing how happy you and Tony are, that's really effected him. In a good way. Its nice to see him smiling again" Jessica smiled, Rick Snr and Martha had always been like parents to her. She was just as much their daughter as Kate and Rachel were.

"It is!" Kate smiled. "How is Liv anyway?" Kate asked.

"Well, she turned 25 last week! God that makes me feel so old!" Jessica cringed. "She and her girlfriend are going to buy their first house, which is totally crazy because they're both just finishing med school, but she's insistent that she knows what she's doing!" Jessica huffed. "But other than that, she's doing fantastic! How about you? How've you been?"

"Better than I thought I would be" Kate said honestly, knowing she could trust Jessica with anything. "I mean, it was hard at first and it still is some days but Tony's really been there for me, and the girls! He kind of fills that empty void, y'know?"

"I'm glad you're finally happy" Jessica smiled, placing her hand lovingly on Kate's. "You two really do seem to be good for eachother!"

Before Kate could say another word, angry shouting and the sound of a bin falling to the floor caught everybodies attention.

"What the?" Kate asked under her breath, before getting up and heading to the front of her house.

"You utter scumbag! I'm going to fucking kill you!" Joe roared as he plunged his fist into another man's face.

"JOE!" Kate spat before she realised who he was fighting with.

"YOU!" Rick Jnr said through gritted teeth as he ran to join his brother, most of the family had followed Kate and were now watching the scene fold out in front of them. "You're a fucking dead man, Jimmy!" Rick added.

"Rick! Leave it! Get Joe off him!" Kate cried.

"Jimmy?" Tony's eyes widened and his blood started to boil.

"Jimmy?" Abby, who was stood next to Tony asked.

"He's the twins' bio father! He left Kate as soon as she told him. He broke her heart!" Tony growled, if it wasn't for Ziva holding him back he would be beating the crap out of that man right now.

"Rick, Joe! Please, he's not worth it!" Kate pleaded with her brothers, Rick backing off, Joe only seeming to fight harder.

"Joe, leave him! You are _not_ going back to prison for him!" Rick pulled his younger brother off Jimmy.

"Get off me, Ricky!" Joe snarled. "I'm going to kill the bastard! What he did to Katie! I'm not having it! He was my best friend and then he broke my little sisters heart!" Joe was physically shaking with anger.

If it wasn't for Rick holding him back, he would have beaten Jimmy until he was nothing but a pile of dust on Kate's front lawn.

"Nice to see you too, Joey!" Jimmy laughed as he clicked his broken, bloody nose back into place. "Oh look at you, playing Mommy now you've got no choice!" Jimmy said spitefully towards Kate.

Rick and Ziva's grip tightened around the men they were holding back as they grew even angrier.

"What do you want, Jimmy?!" Kate huffed.

"What do you think I want?! I'm here to wish Amy and Lucy a happy birthday!"

"Its Amelia and Lilly!" Tony spat.

"Excuse me, _who _are you?" Jimmy looked at Tony in disgust.

"I am the father of those beautiful little girls!" He replied, moving from Ziva's grip and standing next to Kate.

"Ha!" Jimmy laughed. "I think you'll find, that's me!"

"I think you'll find my fucking fist in your face in a minute!" Tommy growled, not usually being the violent fighter type.

"Jimmy, just leave!" Kate huffed once again.

Literally everybody at this party wanted to beat the crap out of this man. Ziva and Gibbs were on edge, Kate, Tony and the girls were their family too now and if this man tried hurting any of them, they weren't going to let him get away easily.

"No" Jimmy crossed his arms across his chest. "I have more of a right to be here than... _Him_" he pointed his finger at Tony. "Just because you're screwing little Caitlin here, doesn't make you the father! But then again, Kate's not their mother either. Not _really_"

Joe had managed to escape his brothers grip and was now heading towards Jimmy, Joe's fist colliding with Jimmy's stomach.

This time it was Gibbs who pulled him away.

"Don't you dare _ever _speak to or about Kate in that way!" Tony said in a low, angry voice.

"I'll speak to the bitch the way I want, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Tony saw red. That was it. Nobody spoke that way about the woman he loved. Nobody. Within seconds Tony's fist flew into Jimmy's face, blood and a tooth flying out of his spiteful mouth. Jimmy fell backward but Tony grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back to his feet before his fist smashed into his face once again.

"Tony!" Kate screamed, trying to pull Tony off her ex only to find Tommy holding her back.

"He has it coming, Kate!" Tommy said.

"Tony isn't going to get in trouble for this! Not for him!" Kate growled trying and failing to free herself from her big brother's strong arms.

Tony was in a blind rage. His fists were flying. He felt strong arms pulling him off of his target and almost instinctively punched the person behind him.

"Leave it, Tony. Go to Kate" Gibbs said in a calm voice. Tony looked back to see Kate fighting her brothers grip, tears streaming down her face as she was screaming for him to stop. One last punch and Tony pushed him to the ground.

"Don't you ever, _**ever**_ speak about Kate like that again! Because next time, you won't be so lucky!" Tony snarled before walking towards Kate.

"I'm sorry babe" Tony said as he approached Kate.

"Its okay, I'm worried about you, that's all!"

Gibbs stood towering over Jimmy who lay on the road, clutching his stomach in pain, and watched as everyone made their way back inside. Rick Snr, Ziva, Jenny and McGee staying where they were.

"Get up!" Gibbs ordered the man on the floor. "I said get up!" He spat when the man didn't move.

Barely able to breathe, let alone stand up, in fear of what this silver-haired man would do if he didn't, Jimmy stood up as much as he could.

"I don't know what exactly went on between you and Kate, and quite frankly, I don't care. But when you come here, causing a scene at a childs birthday party and then go on to insult not one, but two members of my team, members of my team who are like my children, you insult me! If you think that beating you just got off Tony and Joe was bad, believe me, that's nothing compared to the hell that I will inflict on you! You had your chance to do the right thing once, and I know that's not what you've got in mind right now so maybe, for the first time in your life, do something decent. Leave Kate and them girls alone! If your intentions are nothing but pure then leave and don't come back. I love them girls like they were my own Granddaughters and if you're ever going to hurt them, or even hurt Kate an any way again... You've caused enough pain and heartbreak to last a lifetime! So get yourself up and get away, get far away and don't ever even think about showing your face around here again!" Gibbs said in a eerily calm tone.

All the children were still playing on the bouncy castle, blissfully unaware of what had just happened and most adults had gone back into the garden. Kate was in the kitchen holding a frozen bag of peas on Tony's swollen, bloody fist, while Joe's girlfriend Lana was icing his fist the other side of the kitchen.

"You two stay out of sight until all the kids have left" Kate addressed her brother and boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I just... I saw him and I flipped!" Joe said, regretting what he had done only because it had upset Kate, not because Jimmy didn't have it coming.

"I know you are, Joe" Kate smiled at her brother, knowing he was sorry. "I gotta go back outside and sort all the kids out, you two stay here" Kate ghosted her thumb across Tony's jawline before she picked up the tray of party bags and headed outside, a fake smile on her face.

**This chapter was longer than I planned but I hope it makes up for all the short ones lately! I hope you guys liked it! Did they handle Jimmy the right way? Let me know what you think, thank you!:D**


	22. Chapter 22

"Mmmm, Kate. That feels nice" Tony hummed, his voice thick with sleep as the tongue lapping at his ear woke him up.  
"What feels nice?" Kate yawned, her eyes still reluctant to open.  
"What you're doing to my - _AAARRRGGGHHH_!" Tony screamed -the same way he did when he woke up to that Iguana- as he realised it was Noodles' tongue in his ear and not Kate's.  
A heavily amused giggle slipped out of Kate's still sleepy mouth. "Its your turn to let Noodles out!" She added before pulling the flowery duvet back over her head.  
"Ugh, c'mon you!" Tony huffed, pushing himself from the bed, the overly excited white puppy under his arm.  
By now, he knew Kate's house better than his own. He could manage to walk around it in the pitch black without walking into anything by now, which came in handy when he was sneaking downstairs to let the dog out at 4am.  
It had been a month since Jimmy had shown up at Amelia and Lilly's birthday party and he hadn't shown his face since. Tony had broken his hand and had spent the past five weeks on desk duty while it healed, he had only gone back to active duty yesterday. The girls still had no idea what had happened at their party and both Kate and Tony had planned on keeping it that way. As far as Tony was concerned, he was their father. Jimmy had his chance and he blew it. That night Kate had filled Tony in on the /whole/ story. How Jimmy had been harassing her and that he had even turned up the house one time. If Tony ever saw Jimmy again, he certainly would be dead!  
Tony let the dog outside in the back garden to do his business and decided to make himself a cup of hot chocolate while he waited.  
"Amelia? Is that you?" Tony almost jumped out of his skin when he turned around and saw the 7 year old sat at the kitchen table. "What are you doing up?"  
"I couldn't sleep" she huffed.  
"Why, what's wrong baby?" Tony asked, sitting down at the table next to her.  
"Shannon Clearly at school laughed at me and Lilly because we didn't have a Daddy" Tony's heart sunk.  
"You don't listen to a word that Shannon says, you hear me?!" Tony said.  
"I didn't. I said we did have a Daddy... That we had a Tony that loved us and Mama very much!" Amelia smiled and Tony's face mirrored the childs. "But you love Mama and me and Lills and you look after us and make us laugh and play with us and cook dinner and take us to school and you made Mama smile again and I was just thinking that you did all the stuff Daddy's are 'sposed to do... And then Lilly said that you are our Daddy and I just got muddled up"  
"Amelia" Tony started seriously, taking her tiny hand in his. "I love you and your sister more than anything. I think of you two as my daughters and if you want to think of me as your Daddy, I'd be happy with that. Very happy!" Tony smiled  
"So you want us to call you Daddy?" Amelia asked, her brown eyes starting to look sleepy but she had the exact same look on her face as Kate got whenever she understood something.  
"Only if you guys want to"  
"We wanted to call you Daddy since you took us to the park for the first time!" Amelia smiled.  
"You did?!" Tony's face lit up.  
"Yeah! Granps says we have Mama's special power and we're good at knowing when people are good and when they're not and me and Lills knew you were good"  
Tony said nothing. He couldn't say nothing. He was stunned. He knew the girls had grown to love him pretty quickly but he never knew just how much they had grown to love him and just how quickly they had fallen for him.  
"I love you, monkey!" Tony smiled.  
"I love you too, _Daddy_" Amelia smiled, wrapping her skinny arms around Tony's neck.  
Tony pulled his daughter into a tight embrace, kissing her on the top of her soft brown hair. He was so stupidly happy in this moment it was ridiculous. He made himself a mug of hot chocolate and made one for Amelia (on the grounds she did not tell Kate that he gave her a sugary drink at 4am), let the dog in and then went back to bed, making sure he kissed Kate's cheek as he climbed into the bed with her.

Kate and Tony were getting themselves and the girls ready for the day. Tony was making the girls breakfast while Kate was in the shower and getting herself ready for the day.  
"Is Auntie Abby gonna pick us up from school today?" Lilly asked, scooping a spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth.  
"Hopefully" Tony smiled, making sandwiches for the girls' lunches. "If she's not busy"  
"Then we gon come see you and Mama and everyone at work?" Amelia chimed in, her eyes lighting up at the thought.  
"Maybe...only if you two are _really_ well behaved" Tony raised his eyebrows and smirked. "But that means you've got to get ready super quick and don't give Mama any trouble this morning"  
"Okay. We be good" Lilly smiled, drinking the milk from her bowl, her face disappearing behind a plastic pink princess bowl.  
Kate plodded into her kitchen, unnoticed by her family. She smiled at the sight of Tony sat at the kitchen table, chatting and laughing with the girls, the three of them still in their pyjama's. She leant against the door frame, a smile on her face as she soaked in the happiness they were radiating before making herself known and joining them.  
The twins had gotten ready surprising quickly and easily this morning and they actually managed to leave the house on time for once! On the ride to school, the twins sat in their car seats, singing along to the radio as they did every morning while Tony drove. The four of them headed inside the school gates, hand in hand, Tony in the middle of the girls and Kate on the other side of Lilly.  
"Okay, bye-bye babies, be good today" Kate placed a kiss on top of the girls' heads. "I love you"  
"Love you too, Mama" the girls smiled, placing kisses on Kate's cheeks.  
"Have fun you two!" Tony smiled, pulling them into his arms.  
"We will... Love you too _Daddy_!"  
_daddy_? Kate thought she was going to breakdown in the middle of the school yard. She never thought she'd hear the girls use that word, let alone hear them say 'love you too, Daddy'. And now they thought of Tony as their father. It felt like all her dreams were coming true. Dreams she didn't even know she had. But now, she had a family. A man who loved her, beautiful, perfect children.  
"Did they... Did they just call you 'Daddy'?" Kate choked on her words, wide-eyed from shock.  
"Is that not good?" Tony asked, wondering if he had over-stepped.  
"Good?! Tony, its amazing!" Kate smiled. "I never thought I'd hear them use that word... Or you for that matter!"  
Tony just smiled as he wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulders, pulling her close to him and kissing her on the cheek. Kate smiled into Tony's chest. She loved him so much it made her dizzy!

It was little after 4pm when Abby arrived back at NCIS with the twins. Both Kate and Ziva were sat at their desks catching up on what felt like a ton of old paperwork whilst Tony and McGee were on their way back from a sandwich run. The elevator doors pinged open and the twins and Abby came running into the bull pen, laughing and giggling and acting like stereotypical little girls. Kate looked up from the mountain of paper on her desk, a smile etched onto her face and her pen tapping her work as she watched the twins run straight into Gibbs' open arms and wrap their tiny arms around his neck.  
Gibbs scooped his adopted Granddaughters up in his arms and carried them further into the room before placing them both down on the floor in front of Kate's desk.  
"Mama!" The girls beamed and squealed in unison before running into Kate's arms and giving their mother a hug.  
"Hey babies!" Kate exclaimed, kissing the top of her daughters' heads and ruffling their baby soft brown locks.  
"Where's Daddy?" Amelia asked, looking around the bull pen for Tony.  
Abby, Ziva and Gibbs picked up on the new found term and their eyes all widened before they landed on Kate, who seemed to have a giant dimple-clad smile on her face. She would never get tired of hearing that!  
"I'm right here" Tony smiled as he rounded the corner of the bull pen, crouching down and opening his arms for the girls to hug him. "Ooohhhh, I missed you two monkeys today!" Tony squeezed the girls tight in his arms.  
"We missed you too, Daddy!" Lilly smiled.  
"Daddy huh?" Abby smiled as she sat on the edge of Kate's desk.  
"I was just as shocked as you are when I first heard it!" Kate smiled as she watched the twins joining forces with Ziva and seemingly making fun of Tony and McGee as Gibbs just shook his head silently, an amused smile on his lips.  
"He's certainly earned it!"  
"He really has, Abbs!" Kate bit the inside of her cheek as her smile grew a couple of centimetres

**_Okay, sorry this chapter took so long to update and that it's probably not the best but life got in the way I guess. I hope you liked it anyway! Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming! Xo_**


	23. Chapter 23

It was a little after four in the afternoon, and due to the fact it had been a slow day -yet another slow day to add to the many over the past couple of weeks-, Kate and Ziva had headed down to the gym to work out, Gibbs was off somewhere with Jenny, McGee sat at his computer playing a video game while Tony sat at his desk, scrolling down the page he was currently looking at.  
There was a yellow pencil between his pearly white teeth, a pencil which he was biting a little too hard as he thought.  
"McGee!" Tony called out, getting no response from the younger agent who couldn't hear him over his headphones.  
"McGoo!" Tony said again, only this time louder and launching the pencil from between his teeth, hitting Tim square in the face.  
"Ow! Jeez, Tony!" McGee bought a hand to his face. "What do you want?!"  
"C'mere!"  
"No. Why?"  
"Just come, Probie" Tony widened his eyes, his voice growing slightly serious.  
McGee stayed planted firmly in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"Please?" Tony huffed.  
McGee made his way over to Tony's desk and almost dropped dead on the spot when his eyes landed on Tony's computer screen.  
"What do you think?" Tony asked.  
"Well, its not really my type, Tony" McGee laughed, but quickly stifled his laughter when Tony shot him a serious look.  
"I'm serious, McGoo!" Tony ran a hand over his face. "If I didn't need your help, I wouldn't have called you over here! I'm not good with... this type of stuff" Tony pointed towards his computer screen before sitting back in his chair and releasing a deep, heavy sigh.  
There were several tabs on Tony's computer open, but the one in question was for a jewellers. A very expensive, fancy jewellers. He had been thinking about it for months now, proposing to Kate.  
"Are you sure, Tony?" McGee asked in all serious.  
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life, Timmy. I know its early, that we've not been together that long, but its Kate. I love her. I love her so much its insane. And the twins? God, I never imagined myself to be a father, and now I can't think of anything else. Those three girls, they're my life. I know I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Kate. She's the one. And I don't want to spend another day not being married to her. Not being able to say, 'my wife, Kate' or 'Mrs Caitlin DiNozzo'. She's changed me, McGee. I'm a better man since she came into my life. I want to give her the world... give the three of them the world. I want to give her a family and keep all the pain and suffering away. Its crazy, McGee. I'm scared as hell about it all but its a good scared. But if I can't even pick a ring then none of that is going to happen and I'm just going to fail her and disappoint her-" Tony hadn't expected to ramble so much to McGee, it just sort of came out. "Oh, well, that one's kinda nice" McGee cleared his voice and the tinge of awkwardness in the air (he swore he saw tears in Tony's eyes right now), as he pointed towards a ruby ring in the centre of the page.  
"Hhmmmm, I suppose" Tony sighed, he didn't really like that ring.  
"Or what about this one?" McGee asked, pointing to another one, with a huge diamond in the middle and lots of little ones around the silver band.  
"That's the one I was thinking. But is it 'Kate'?" Tony asked.  
"'Kate'?" McGee asked, not understanding what Tony meant.  
"You know, classy, sophisticated. That type of thing"  
"Look Tony, if you're not sure then don't buy one. When you see one, you'll know" McGee smiled at Tony.  
"I guess you're right" Tony sighed again. "He is" Gibbs stated simply as he rounded the corner, causing the two men to jump. "Although, I didn't see that one coming, you two breaking rule 12 I mean" Gibbs sniggerd internally at his joke, watching McGee visibly shudder at the idea.  
"Oh what would you know? You're like the serial husband!" Tony said, not really thinking of what he was saying or who he was saying it too. He immediately regretted his words.  
Gibbs just simply laughed, shocking both Tony and McGee.  
"You're right" he said before taking a sip of coffee. "But you could learn from my mistakes" he said again before turning his attention to his computer screen, banging the top of it several times.  
After a few minutes of silence, Gibbs spoke again.  
"So, you're planning on proposing to Kate?"  
"That's the plan" Tony smiled slightly.  
"And you can't pick a ring?"  
"Yeah. I want it to be perfect, like her. I want it to be a 'Kate' ring. Maybe I'm just overthinking things"  
"Well, McGee is right. You can't make something perfect Tony. It will come to you, and when it does you will know. Just like Kate"

Kate and Ziva now sat in Abby's lab after finishing their workout.  
"So... How is Tony in the bedroom?" Abby smiled before taking a big sip of her Caf-Pow.  
Kate hadn't ever really been a person to discuss this type of thing, but being best friends with Abby had changed all that. The two of them had often discussed their sex lives, Abby's being more kinkier and wilder than Kate's, and now Ziva, who like Kate, had never really been one to talk about it (unless she was teasing Tony or McGee) was part of their group, this subject seemed somewhat normal and comfortable between the women. Ziva and Abby had always been close, but over the recent months, after Kate had become blissfully happy with Tony, Kate and Ziva were close now too.  
"Considering how much of a manwhore he was, he's very... Talented" Kate laughed.  
"Does that bother you?" Ziva asked.  
"Does what bother me? The fact he has slept with a lot of women? I mean, it used to, and honestly, it did at the start of our relationship... But now? No, not really. I mean, it bothers me when we're out and 'Candi with an I' and a giant pair of double D's comes to chat to Tony, but other than that. Not anymore. He's changed" Kate smiled slightly.  
"He's more than changed, Kate" Abby raised an eyebrow at her bestfriend. "Its amazing. I mean, I've known Tony BK, before Kate, and AK, after Kate. You're like some kind of miracle worker!"  
"Ah yes... But enough about me" Kate smiled, starting to feel slightly embarrassed. "What about you and Tim?"  
"What about me and Timmy?" Abby asked.  
"Is it on or off?"  
"Oh, it is most certainly on!" Ziva laughed. "Did you not see the teeth marks in McGee's neck?"  
"I don't know" Abby shrugged her shoulders. "He's like my brother... But we have sex. Its totally inappropriate"  
"But you like him, Abbs. You've liked him for years" Kate smiled sweetly.  
"I do, obviously. But I don't think we'd work as a couple. We've tried it before and it didn't work out. And things are good now. Like really good and I don't wanna mess them up by complicating them"  
"Abbs, you've just said that McGee was like a brother you have sex with. How much more complicated can it get?" Kate laughed.  
"She has a point" Ziva smiled, having stayed relatively quiet throughout the whole conversation, not wanting to be asked about her love life (or the cute guy in the orange beanie she had met while out running and was taking her out for dinner this saturday).  
"Oh yeah?" Abby asked. "Well what about you and Rob?"  
"It is Roy. And there is nothing to tell"  
"Liar!" Abby pointed towards Ziva, knowing when she was lying. "I know you Ziva David and I know when you're lying. That Mossad training doesn't fool me!" Abby smirked.  
"Really, it is nothing" Ziva sighed.  
"Abbs, she clearly doesn't want to talk about it" Kate threw Ziva a reassuring smile. "Although, she'll spill her guts to us once she's ready to"

After they had put the girls to bed, Kate and Tony were snuggled up together on the sofa watching 'Bounce', Kate's film of choice, not Tony's.  
"Hey Kate?" Tony asked, his fingers ghosting patterns up and down the curve of her body, his fingertips tickling her bare flesh under her baggy gray tshirt.  
"Yeah, babe?" Kate asked.  
"I was thinking, I mean, only if its okay with you, that maybe I sell my place and move in here. I basically live here anyway and my place is just a waste of money"  
"I thought you sold your place months ago, Tony!" Kate laughed. "Of course I want you to officially move in!" She turned her head and beamed at him.  
"Good" Tony smiled before crashing his lips to Kate's in a deep, passionate kiss. His tongue grazing her bottom lip, asking for entrance, Kate's lips parting happily granting it to him as her fingers got lost in his soft, brown hair.  
"I love you, Kate. So much" Tony said breathlessly once him and Kate had finally parted for air.  
"I love you too, Tony" Kate cupped Tony's cheek and her thumb grazed Tony's cheek bone.  
"Good. I'm glad. Because you're the one, Kate. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you" he stared down into her deep chocolate eyes, trying his hardest not to get lost in their deep, dark beauty.  
Before either of them could say anything else, a loud thump and then the sound of fighting could be heard from upstairs, causing both Kate and Tony to shoot up the stairs.  
"What the hell happened in here?!" Kate gasped as she looked at the trashed bedroom of her daughters.  
"It was all Lills' fault!" Amelia pouted.  
"Was not!" Lilly pushed her sister.  
"Was too" Amelia pushed her twin back.  
"Hey!" Kate snapped, pulling her daughters apart. "We do not push each other around!" She scolded each of them. "I don't care whose fault it was, you can both tidy the mess up and if I hear any more noise out of you then we will not be going to see Grandpa Todd this weekend. You hear me?" Kate raised her eyebrow and pointed her finger, while the other rested on her hip in the typical 'mom' pose.  
"But-" Amelia started but was soon cut off by her mother.  
"-What did I just say? I do not care whose fault it is and I don't want to hear another peep out of you tonight. You shouldn't even be awake. Its almost 11, you're not staying off school if you're tired"  
"Fine!" Both the twins huffed in union as they started to tidy up the mess of marbles and lego's that had made on their bedroom floor.  
"Ugh, I don't know what's gotten into them lately!" Kate sighed frustratedly as she snuggled back next to Tony on the sofa.  
"Its just their age, hon. Its a phase" Tony reassured her, pulling her legs onto his lap.  
"I hope so! A year ago they were these adorable little girls who wore matching pink dresses and had pig tails and huge smiles and now... now they've got such a bad attitude and they're constantly fighting with each other. What if its finally all catching up to them, Tony? What if they realised what I did and they hate me for it?" Kate swallowed hard.  
"Kate, this is normal, okay? When you were little, how often did you and Rachael fight? They're just growing up and learning new things in school, that is all, okay?" Tony smiled at her, he hated when Kate thought like this. A part of her always would think like this, and that made a small piece of Tony die, knowing Kate would never truly forgive herself.  
"I guess you're right"  
"Of course I'm right, Kate. A part of me is still 6 years old, remember?"  
"You have no idea how inappropriate that sounds!" Kate laughed.  
"There it is" Tony smiled as the sound of Kate's happy laughing melted his heart as he hugged her tighter, pulling her closer to him and kissing her temple.  
"Are you excited to see your Dad this weekend?" Tony changed the subject after a few moments of comfortable silence.  
"Yeah. He's excited to see you as well" Kate smiled. "Everybody is actually. Although, its gonna be rough on him. Its his first birthday in like 50 years without my mum. It was nice of you to suggest a surprise party for him" Kate laced her tiny fingers with Tony's huge ones.  
"Its what I would have wanted somebody to do when my mum died" Tony said with an air of sadness in his tone. "And besides, your dad is kinda like my family now anyway. And you know I would do anything for my family" Tony smiled once more before pulling Kate once more so that she was now straddling him on the sofa, their lips locked in a rather passionate, very heated and steamy kiss.

**To anyone still reading this, first of all, thank you! and second, sorry about the long wait. I started writing it ages ago and then my laptop broke and i've just been too busy with college and too lazy up until today to rewrite it. Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait and that you like it. There is a lot going on in this chapter, I know. But Tony wants to propose, good or bad? Thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming! xo**


	24. Chapter 24

Kate and Tony had been in Indiana for a day and a half now, they had travelled early Friday morning getting there Friday dinner time, thanks to Gibbs giving them the Friday off as well as the weekend. The whole of Kate's family had come in for the weekend, even Rick Jnr and Jessica's eldest daughter, Olivia and her girlfriend had even flown in from Med school to be there.

There was a wide spectrum of emotions on the day of Richard's Birthday. It was a bittersweet day and was difficult to say the least, especially as it was his first Birthday in almost 50 years without his wife, although having his whole family there did help a little. The news that Lana, Joe's girlfriend, was expecting their first child together had made everybodies day and was the best gift Richard could have expected to get.

Everybody was in the house, all of Kate's brothers, Tony and Richard were all watching a football game in the living room, all the younger children, including the twins, were playing outside in the garden and all the women were in the kitchen/dining room chatting amongst themselves.

"How is Med school going?" Kate asked her eldest neice who was sat at the kitchen island next to her.

"It's hard but hopefully it's all going to be worth it in the end" Olivia smiled.

"It will be" Kate smiled reassuringly. "It was nice of you to come down this weekend considering how busy you must be"

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, he's my Grandpa and I would do anything for him. And besides, I hadn't seen you in years. Plus, I wanted to see it for my own eyes!" Olivia laughed.

"See what?" Kate raised an eyebrow at her neice.

"The hottie you're dating" Olivia wiggled her eyebrows in the air. "Very nice" she added.

"Ah, I could say the same about you" Kate smirked. "Carrie certainly is a keeper"

"Hey, you guys ready?" Rachael asked, lighting the last candle on her father's cake.

Kate held the other side of the tray as they all walked into the living room singing 'Happy Birthday' to Richard, the kids coming coming in from the garden to sing Happy Birthday to their Grandfather. As Richard blew out his candles, a few family members snapped photo's and videos while Kate and Rachael kept hold of his cake.

After dinner, at around 10pm, most people either left or were in the living room watching the TV. Kate was upstairs with Lana (her, Joe and her daughter, Callie were also staying at the house) putting Amelia, Lilly and Callie to bed.

"Hey, let me get that!" Tony smiled as he walked into the kitchen and saw Richard washing the dishes.

"I'm almost finished now, but thank you anyway, Tony" Richard replied, scrubbing the plate clean.

"How are you holding up?" Tony asked, grabbing the tea towel and picking up one of the freshly washed plates and starting to dry it.

"Honestly? Better than I thought" Richard replied, handing Tony a freshly cleaned glass. "I heard this was your idea. Thank you, Tony. It really means a lot to me"

"It's what I would have wanted, well, its what I did want when my mother passed. It's good to see you happy again. I know Kate and the girls are enjoying spending time with you, even if it is bittersweet"

"You're good for them, Tony"

"They're good for me too. I never thanked you for raising such an amazing daughter... Which kind of er, I was wondering, I mean... Oh God" a sudden urge of nerves washed over Tony and he suddenly found his mouth drying out and his hands starting to sweat.

"Spit it out, son" Richard laughed slightly.

"I love Kate, you know that and you know just how much I love the girls. And Kate, well she's traditional and slightly old fashioned and I love her and just want to do right by her and I wanted to get your permission to ask her hand in marriage" Tony swallowed hard as Richard's peircing eyes burnt holes into him.

Before either Tony or Richard could say anything, Richard walked out of the kitchen leaving a dumbstruck Tony stood in the kitchen, a now dry plate in his hand. Just as Tony was about to walk back out of the kitchen, Richard returned.

"I'm sorry about that, Tony" Richard said, seeing the pained look on the younger mans face. "I just wanted to get this" Richard held out his hand where a ring lay in his palm. "This was Martha's engagement ring, and my mothers before that. She wanted you to have it. You don't have to use it, I just thought it might be nice"

"No" Tony smiled, taking the ring from Richard's outstreched palm. "It's perfect" he said again, admiring the simple, yet beautiful, elegant ring.

"Just, be good to her" Richard crossed his arms across her chest. "Shes my baby and she's been through more than enough. Don't ask her unless you're certain"

"With all due respect, Sir, I have never been more certain of anything in my whole entire life. I don't want to spend another day not being married to your daughter"

"Good" Richard smiled. He really did like Tony.

(-)

Kate lay in Tony's arms on the air bed in the front living room, his fingers twindling her silky soft hair and holding her tight to his body.

"I feel like i've hardly seen you this weekend" Kate sighed, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on Tony's bare chest. "It's just been so long that _everyone _has been in the same room and-"

Tony cut Kate off by kissing her on the head and holding up a finger to her lips.

"It's fine, babe. Honest" Tony smiled. "You can see me any time and it's nice to see you with all of your family anyway. I got to bond with your Dad anyway"

"You did?" Kate asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"Yeah, I think he likes me!"

"Tony, my father loves you! I think he loves you almost as much as he loves any of us. He sees you as his own son"

The pair stayed quiet for a few moments before Kate spoke again.

"Y'know, this is the room I had my very first steps in"

"It is?"

"Yeah... It's also the room where Amelia pushed Lilly over when they were three and she banged her head on the fire place, getting that tiny scar on her eyebrow" Kate laughed slightly. It was funny now, but at the time it was terrifying.

"I always wondered where she got that!" Tony smirked. "Kate" Tony said seriously.

"Yeah babe?" Kate asked, tilting her head to look up at Tony.

"I love you"

"I love you too, Tony" Kate smirked, leaning up and kissing his jaw.

_**This chapter is really short and not very good, sorry. The next one will be better hopefully! Do we want to see Tony propose sooner or later? Let me know:-) Thanks for the support on this story.**_


	25. Chapter 25

The whole house was woken up at 7am that Sunday when the doorbell rang. With most of the family bar Rick Snr, Jessica and their youngest son, Max who lived just down the road, going home today, the family decided they would all have breakfast together.  
Kate and Lana has been up since 6 getting the breakfast for 21 people started while Tony and Joe has got the girls up and ready and also packed their cars ready for their long journeys home.  
Before Tony had gone to bed last night, he had asked Kate's father if he could ask Kate to marry him in the morning at breakfast and Richard positively beamed at the idea.  
As more and more of the family filled the house, the women seeming to congregate in the kitchen again and the men and children all in the living room watching cartoons, Tony sat on the bench under a big Oak tree in the back garden, looking at the ring and going over everything in his head.  
"Tony?" Kate asked as she walked up to him, causing Tony to quickly clench his fist and hide the ring. "Are you okay?" She asked again as she took a seat next to him.  
"Yeah, I just needed some air, that's all" Tony smiled reassuringly at Kate.  
"Are you sure?" Kate wondered. Tony just didn't seem right this morning.  
"I'm sure" he smiled as Kate linked her arm through his.  
"They can be a bit intense sometimes!" Kate laughed. "My family, I mean"  
"Its so weird, you have so many people who love you and I don't, I never had this. I've never really had a family... Not until I met Gibbs anyway" Tony let out a single laugh. "And then you came along and now you're my family, Kate" Tony laced his finger's with Kate's as she rested her head on his shoulder.  
"This is your family too, you know. They all love you"  
"Like I've always said, you Todd's are incapable of resisting the DiNozzo charm" Tony smiled cheekily as Kate placed a quick kiss on his lips.  
"C'mon, breakfasts ready and we've got to be at the airport in a few hours" Kate pulled Tony up and off the bench and walking back into the house with him, his arm wrapped around her waist and her head rested on his shoulder as they walked.  
Once breakfast was ready, Kate, Lana, Jessica and Rachael all helped to bring out the many plates of toast, bacon, eggs, sausages, cereals, fruit, yoghurt, croissants and all the other delicious breakfast food that Kate and Lana had prepared.  
Amelia, Lilly, Lana's daughter Callie, Rick Jnr and Jessica's youngest son Max, Tommy's sons Jack and Alex and Rachael's children Leo, Jennifer and Ella all sat at a separate childrens table, despite their ages ranged from 17 to 4. While all the adults; Richard, Kate, Tony, Rick Snr and his wife Jessica, Tommy, Joe and his girlfriend Lana, Rachael and her husband Mark and Rick and Jessica's eldest daughter, Olivia and her girlfriend Carrie all sat at the big table (or rather two tables and a snooker table pushed together).  
All through the breakfast Tony was nervous. He was nervous Kate would say no. He was nervous that her brothers would try and beat him up. He was nervous that he would be down on one knee and no words would come out of his mouth, but the one thing he was not nervous about was the life he would lead if Kate said 'yes'. The idea of that life, of getting to call Kate, the love of his life, his constant, his everything, his 'wife' is what calmed his nerves and gave him the courage he needed.  
Every so often, Richard would shoot him a reassuring look which also helped calm his nerves.  
Considering just how scary Kate's ex Navy SEAL father looked on the outside, on the inside he was just a big softie and having him as an in-law didn't scare him in the slightest any more.  
"Jeez, Lana. That's like your fifth croissant!" Kate laughed as the tall, black haired woman shoved another French delicacy in her mouth.  
"What, I'm eating for two!" Lana laughed back, her words muffled from the food in her mouth.  
"My little boy is gonna be a ten pounder!" Joe smiled proudly, patting his girlfriends slightly rounded stomach.  
"It is not!" Lana scoffed. "And we don't know its a boy yet. It could very well be a girl" her hand joined his on her bump.  
"Its a Todd baby, most of us were ten pounds... Except Kate. She was almost twelve!" Joe smirked.  
"I was not!" Kate slapped her older brother on the arm playfully.  
"Katie, you were the fattest baby ever!" Rick Jnr laughed.  
"You wouldn't think it now but you were bigger than all of us" Joe teased.  
"Joe, you're forgetting this baby is half mine. Its not going to come out some huge freaky baby like you!" Lana smiled at her boyfriend.  
"We'll see" Joe smirked.  
Just as Kate was about to grab her second slice of toast Tony started clearing his throat and asking for everybodies attention. With a nervous smile he took Kate's hand in his own.  
"Kate, I'm not good with words, not like you anyway and there is no way humanly possible to put into words how much I love you and how much you mean to me, but I'm going to try my best to do it anyway. You are the strongest, kindest, most beautiful woman that I've ever had the honour of knowing and loving. How I ever got you is beyond me, because believe me Kate, I really got lucky and hit the jackpot with you! You've changed me, every day since I've known you, you've changed me. And even though for the first few years we would always bicker and I'd wind you up, I always thought you were the most amazing person. Your smile, as cringey and cliché as it sounds, is the light of my life. You make everything and everyone better and always bring out the best in people. Five years ago, if somebody would have told me that I would fall in love and have kids with my partner I would have laughed in their faces and five years ago, the though of that would have terrified me, but now, not having you or the twins is what terrifies me. My life finally feels like it has meaning, Kate, and that's because of you. I wouldn't be the man I am right now if it wasn't for you. I am so, incredibly, head over heals in love with you Kate and I never want to spend another day without you. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be, all my dreams that I didn't know I had have come true and I owe everything to you. So" Tony got down on one knee, Kate's hand still in his own. "Caitlin Todd, will you marry me?" Tony asked, his eyes glistening with tears while Kate's flowed freely down her cheeks, holding up the ring and looking into her deep chocolate eyes.  
Kate's mouth went dry and her palms began to sweat. Time seemed to stop still, making each passing second of silence seem like a year. Every single person's eyes were on her, burning holes into her, waiting for her to answer. After a quick scan of the room and a deep breath, Kate looked back down at Tony, who was still down on one knee, the engagement ring in one hand and Kate's in the other. His face was a wash of emotions, and right now, he looked both terrified and heartbroken.  
She didn't know how long she had stayed silent, gobsmacked, for, but she knew it was long enough. She didn't even know why she had stayed silent that long, its not like she even needed to think about her answer.  
"Yes" Kate smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Of course I will, Tony!".  
Tony breathed a sigh of relief as he slid the ring on Kate's finger, stood up and pulled her into a passionate, blissfully happy kiss.  
As Kate's family cheered and wiped their eyes, Kate wrapped her arms around Tony's neck and smiled into their kiss before her family all stood up and pulled the newly engaged couple into a hug.  
Both Kate and Tony bent down and picked up Lilly and Amelia as they came hurdling towards them, their little arms outstretched.  
"Are you gonna marry Daddy now?" Amelia asked as she inspected the ring on her mothers finger.  
"I am" Kate beamed at her daughter, still not over the fact they called Tony 'Daddy'.  
"Can we be bridesmaids and wear pretty princess dresses?" Lilly asked from Tony's arms.  
"You guys are gonna wear the prettiest, most princess-y dresses ever!" Tony smiled, placing a kiss on his daughter's cheek.  
"And Mommy too!" Amelia added, smiling.  
"And Mommy too" Tony smiled, the thought of Kate in a wedding dress, of how beautiful she would look, knocked the breath out of him for a second.

It wasn't long after breakfast when most people, Kate, Tony and the twins included, headed home. If it were up to Kate, they wouldn't have left but they had work in the morning and the girls had school.  
The flight home had been better than they had expected, they had been bumped up to first class thanks to the girls excited chattering about how their Mommy and Daddy just got engaged.  
"Can we go get Noodles on the way home?" Amelia asked as Tony drove them home from the airport.  
Abby had been babysitting the puppy since Thursday night and the girls missed him terribly.  
"Pleaaaaase!" They both whined in unison.  
Tony looked over to Kate and he knew that she couldn't resist them.  
"I'll have to phone Auntie Abby first, okay?" Kate turned in her seat to face her daughters. Once they both nodded she pulled out her phone and phoned her best friend.  
As Tony pulled into Abby's driveway, the girls started to get really excited and hyper over the fact they'd be seeing both Noodles and Abby in a few minutes.  
Kate and Tony got the girls out of their carseats and the four of them walked hand in hand up the driveway to Abby's front door, where Tony rung the doorbell about six times.  
"McGoo?" Tony asked when Tim answered the door. "What're you doin- ohhhhhh" he asked, nodding his head and smiling suggestively once it clicked that he had probably spent the weekend with Abby -again.  
"Auntie Abbyyyyyy!" The girls squealed as Abby emerged in her hallway, nearly getting knocked off her feet by the two tiny humans racing towards her.  
"Hey guys!" Abby smiled, pulling them into a bone crushing hug. "I missed you!"  
"We missed you too" the girls replied, before getting distracted by Noodles in the living room.  
"Something happened when you were away, didn't it?" Abby raised her eyebrow and smirked. "C'mon, spill. What happened?"  
"We, er-" Kate started but got cut off by Tony.  
"-We're engaged!" Tony blurted, not being able to hold it, or his huge smile, in any longer.  
"You're what?" Abby asked, her eyes wide in shock.  
"We're engaged, Abbs. We're getting married" Kate laughed before Abby flung her arms around her two best friends.  
"Lemme see the ring!" Kate held her hand out to Abby.  
"It was my mothers, and my Grandmother's before that" Kate smiled again.  
"It's beautiful!" Abby gushed before hugging them both again.  
"I didn't think you would do it that quick!" McGee stated once Abby had pulled Kate into the living room. "Congrats, man!" He added, clapping Tony on the back.  
"Thanks, Timmy" Tony smiled sincerely. "I asked her father for permission last night, he gave me that ring and I proposed at breakfast this morning, in front of her whole family"  
"See, I told you you would know when the time was right" McGee smiled. "So... Does it feel weird?"  
"Not at all, Timmy. If I'm honest, it sounds cheesy and like I'm a walking cliché, but it just feels right. I've never been this happy in my life"  
"Good, Tony. I'm glad"  
"Is Auntie Abby gonna be a bridesmaid too, Mommy?" Amelia asked, her attention never leaving the white puppy she was playing with.  
"Well Abbs?" Kate asked, looking over at her best friend.  
"As if you even have to ask, Kate!" Abby beamed with excitement.  
"Good" Kate smiled. "Because I want you to be my Maid of Honour"  
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" Abby screamed with excitement at the top of her lungs.  
"But no black, no sculls, no spiders, no coffins!" Kate laughed.

_**Oh wow, two updates in like one day. You guys are sooooo lucky;-) That just shows how bored I am and how much time I have on my hands now i've finished College till September. Im hoping to get this story finished soon and I may do a sequel, if anybody is interested? Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review letting me know what you think and whether or not you'd be interested in a sequel:-)**_


	26. Chapter 26

It had been just over three weeks since Kate and Tony had formally announced their engagement, and Abby decided they had waited long enough to celebrate it, she herself had known almost two weeks before most people. She had been planning their surprise engagement party since the night she had found out. She had booked the church hall for the night and invited all of Kate's family, all their friends from work, college, school, etc and a few of the people they were friendly with from the girls' school.  
Her plan had worked perfectly. Abby had lied about some fundraiser they were invited to and that they had to dress nicely at be at the venue for 7pm. When the couple walked into the pitch black hall hand in hand, everybody jumped out and yelled 'surprise', scaring Tony more than it scared Kate resulting in him all but jumping into her arms like Shaggy and Scooby from Scooby-Doo.  
The party had been going on for about an hour when the pair finally got to sit down after greeting their guests and thanking them for coming. It really was a surprise and Abby really had out done herself. The party was beautiful. The hall was decorated with baby pictures of Kate and Tony, ones of them growing up and ones of them together (ones they had known about and ones that Abby had secretly snapped of them). There was a DJ who was playing a wide variety of music to suit every one there and there was a rather large buffet. And not to mention the best part, the open bar!  
As Tony got up and headed to the bar and buffet, Kate smiled as she scanned the room. Her father, Gibbs and Ducky seemed deep in conversation, her brother, Tommy seemed to be hitting on all women in the room -including Ziva and Abby- regardless of their relationship status, all the kids dancing and running wild and everyone else just mingling.  
"Hey babe" Tony smiled as he sat back down, placing a vodka and a plate of food in front of Kate. "I didn't know what you wanted so I just got you a bit of everything" Tony smiled wider.  
"Jesus Tony!" Kate exclaimed in a laugh. Her eyes landing on the mountain of food in front of her before she began to eat a mini pizza off the top of the pile.  
She had grown to really love anything Italian over the past year.  
After a few more mini pizzas and two more vodka's, a slightly drunk, yet blissfully happy Kate pulled Tony onto the dance floor. Kate's arms snaked around Tony's neck as his went around her waist pulling her in close to him.  
"Y'know" Kate started. "I never imagined I'd get married".  
"You didn't?" Tony raised his eyebrow in shock. Sure Kate had had a few drinks but he seriously couldn't believe it.  
"I mean, of course I had always fantasised about it when I was younger and then I fell in love with Jimmy and I thought he was the one... But then when I realised I was a single mother, of twins non the less, I gave up on ever meeting any man again. But now? Now all I can think about is being your wife" Kate smiled, looking into Tony's eyes.  
"Well... Good" Tony smiled back, his hands coming up to cup Kate's cheeks. "...because that's all I can think about. Calling you my wife. I love you so much Kate and I'm gonna spend every single day trying to make you as happy as you make me".  
Tony pulled Kate's face to his and closed the distance between them by plunging his lips to hers.

Abby had sort of appointed herself Tony's co-best man as well as being Kate's maid of honour. He had asked Gibbs but the thought of Gibbs planning his bachelor party creeped him out, so whilst it was still weird that Abby was planning it, it was much less creepy than Gibbs. He was glad when Gibbs had accepted to be his best man as long as he didn't have to plan his bachelor party so it had kind of worked out for the best.  
"Tony, stop squirming!" Abby huffed, purposely stabbing Tony in the back of his leg with the needle.  
"Ow!" Tony flinched.  
"Oh that didn't even hurt, Tony!" Kate scoffed. "It was a tiny needle prick and you're a fully grown man, you're an NCIS agent for crying out loud!"  
"What are you even doing here?" Tony said through gritted teeth as Abby stabbed him again. "I thought we weren't allowed to see what each other is wearing till you walk down the aisle!"  
"No, Tony. I can see what you're wearing but you can't see what I'm wearing" Kate smiled.  
"Well that's hardly fair" Tony protested. "Oooowww, Abby!" He yelped again.  
"If you stop moving then I won't keep stabbing you!" Abby stood up, taking a step back and admiring Tony in his suit.  
It was a dark gray colour with a matching waist coat underneath. Gibbs and McGee who were stood next to Tony, and had both stayed silent after the fifth time Abby had 'accidentally' stabbed them, had matching suits.  
"Well, Kate? What dya think?" Tony smiled proudly in his suit before spinning 360' so Kate could see the suit fully.  
"I love it!" Kate exclaimed, her eyes tearing up slightly.  
They had yet to pick an accent colour, although right now, both Kate and Tony were leaning toward either gold or lilac.  
"Good" Gibbs cleared his throat gruffly. "Now can we get out of these things?"

(-)

"No, Abby. I will not wear this dress!" Ziva huffed. "I look like Little Bow Peep!"  
Ziva was right. Abby had picked out a baby pink dress that had puffy sleeves and had a wire at the bottom making the dress puff out at the bottom.  
"Oh but Ziva, you look so pretty!" Abby swooned.  
"No!" Kate's eyes widened in horror. "I kind of like the one Rachael is wearing"  
Kate had her bridesmaids, Abby, Ziva, Rachael, her cousin Katy and the twins all lined up in the dress store in different dresses.  
The dress Rachael was wearing was a floor length deep purple dress, which had a v neck-line that the dress bunched up at. It was simple, nothing fancy, but it was beautiful and elegant. "What do you guys think?" Kate asked.  
"Its nice, Kate. But it's your wedding. We'll wear whatever you put us in" her cousin smiled.  
"I want a princess dress, Mommy!" Lilly insisted.  
"Me too!" Amelia added.  
"You guys are gonna be wearing princess dresses, okay?" Kate smiled before turning her attention back to the adults. "Yes, but I want you guys to be comfortable too. And Abby" Kate waggled her eyebrows. "You'll still be able to wear your boots under that dress!"

(-)

"I thought you wanted a big Catholic wedding in a church with hundreds of people there" Tony sighed, sitting down on the sofa next to Kate.  
"I thought I did too" Kate rubbed her temples. "But honestly, I'm happy with how it is now. Small and intimate. Just friends and family" Kate smiled as she snuggled into Tony, her head resting on his chest.  
"So what you're saying is you want me to uninvite your scary fourth cousin Gertrude on your mother's side that's twice removed?" Tony replied with a hint of cheekiness in his tone, Kate shutting him up by planting a passionate kiss on his lips.  
"Oh. That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about" Kate pulled away. "Its only three weeks till the wedding and I think we should stop having sex until our wedding night. What dya say?" Kate bit her bottom lip.  
"You mean" Tony started as he showered Kate in kisses. "That I've got to wait three weeks till I can do this" he rolled on top of her. "And this" he nipped and sucked at the magic part in Kate's neck. "And this" he rolled his hips so he was pressing against Kate.  
"Well" Kate giggled. "I guess we'll start tomorrow" she laughed as Tony began unbuttoning her jeans.

(-)

After they had settled on dresses for the bridesmaids, Kate took her daughters out to pick their dresses. She knew they would most probably end up with something pink, puffy and as 'princessy' as possible but that didn't seem to bother Kate in the slightest. Her and Tony had decided the twins would be flower girls and their nephew Max (Rick Jnr and Jessica's youngest son) who was of similar age, give or take a few years, would be their ring bearer. They had had a mini suit made up for him in the same colour as Tony, Gibbs and McGee and he looked absolutley adorable in it.

"What about these one's Mommy?" Amelia asked, as she twirled and the white dress covered in pink and purple beads and patterns.

"I like it" Kate smiled, she really did, and it would go with the other dresses too.

"Me too!" Lilly smiled, examining the pretty purple netting on the dress.

"You two are the two most beautiful princesses I have ever saw!" Tony smiled as he walked into the shop, sitting down next to Kate.

"You like them Daddy?"

"Like them?" Tony said with just as much enthusiasm as his six year old daughters. "I love them!" he smiled.

(-)

Abby had planned Tony's stag party the night before. It had paled in comparison to Kate's. They had just gone out to a bar and had been home before 12 (which had shocked everyone) but they were all thankful that Abby hadn't taken them to a stripclub. Kate's hen party however, was a completely different story.  
Everybody, including Ziva and Kate's 90 year old Grandmother, were drunk.  
Kate, who was currently nursing a martini was laughing and giggling like a typical drunk girl when the doorbell rang. Abby staggered to the door, drunk but still more sober than everyone else in the room, and then re-emerged with a rather tanned and buff police officer.  
"We've had some complaints about the noise" the man started. "Apparently its not loud enough" he added before ripping his shirt off to reveal an extremely toned torso. "Which one of you is the bride-to-be?" He asked and everyone pointed to Kate. The stripper threw his shirt at Kate before he walked over to her and began to dance for her, ripping his pants off in the process and throwing them at Ziva.  
Kate was laughing as she pushed him away from her face.  
After the stripper was done with Kate, she got up and staggered to the bar to get herself another drink whilst the rest of the women squealed and threw themselves at him. As she turned back around, she found him dancing in front of her Grandma who was spanking his butt and wearing his hat.

(-)

"Okay, this is it" Tony smiled, his fingers interlocking with Kate's. "The next time I see you you're gonna be walking down the aisle!" He smiled the biggest smile he had ever smiled.  
"You better not ditch me!" Kate laughed, punching Tony in his arm, only half joking.  
"Kate, I can promise you, with every cell in my body, that I will be stood waiting for you at the end of that aisle tomorrow" he stroked a stray hair off Kate's face and behind her ear.  
"Good" Kate smiled, taking Tony's hand in her own once again.  
"C'mon Tony, Kate's gotta get her beauty sleep!" Abby wined.  
"She doesn't need any beauty sleep, Abbs" Tony smirked before he leaned down and captured Kate's lips with his own.  
Tony was going to stay at Abby's apartment for the night with Gibbs and McGee whilst Kate stayed at their home with Abby, Ziva, her cousin Katy and the girls (Rachael and her father would be there early tomorrow morning).  
"See you tomorrow, Caitlin Todd" Tony smirked as he left the house, knowing that this time tomorrow she would be Caitlin DiNozzo.

_**Okay, I have no idea whatsoever how to plan a wedding but I hope you liked the chapter anyway! I purposley left Kate picking her dress out so we'll find out what it looks like in the next chapter, yay! Thank you for all the amazing reviews, please keep them coming. The next chapter is the wedding:-)**_


	27. Chapter 27

The morning had been both stressful and exhilarating for Kate and Tony. Neither had been able got get much sleep the night before due to a mixture of nerves and excitement and also due to the fact they had been up most of the night texting one another like teenagers.  
It was a few minutes after 7AM when Abby joined by the twins came bouncing into Kate's bedroom, much like the way the 7 year old girls did on Christmas Day, waking her up and squealing with excitement.

"Mommy, you're marrying Tony today!" Amelia squealed as she jumped up and down on Kate's bed.

After a small but hearty breakfast, Kate, Amelia, Lilly, Abby, Ziva and Kate's cousin headed to the hairdressers to get their hair and makeup done. The twins had their hair done in ringlets and had glittery eye shadow and blush on whilst the older girls; Abby, Ziva and Katy had their hair pulled back into a bun with simple, natural makeup. Abby surprising everyone by not wearing her signature pigtails or dark lipstick, if it wasn't for the fact she had her boots on under her bridesmaids dress she would have passed for a completely different person. Ziva too, it wasn't often the Israeli beauty actually showed just how pretty she was and how amazing her body was!

Kate however did not like the first hairstyle they had tried on her, it's not that it was ugly or she didn't suit it, she just didn't feel right. She wanted to look as normal and as natural as she could, as the woman that Tony fell in love with. Stripped down both emotionally and physically(not in the naked way, just in her natural, beautiful way). After two more failed hairstyle attempts, they finally decided to just leave it down, in long loose waves, with the sides clipped back with fancy diamanté encrusted bobby pins. Her makeup, like everyone else's, was minimal and natural, the only fake thing being her eyelashes. Kate was beautiful even on her bad days but today she was beyond stunning. The type of beautiful that would even bring a tear to Leroy Jethro Gibbs' eye!

Tony was the first one up and awake at Abby's house. Or so he thought anyway. As he sleepily padded into Abby's kitchen, he found Gibbs sat at the table, reading the morning paper and drinking a coffee.

"How'd you sleep?" Gibbs asked, not looking up from the paper.

"Honestly? Not as well as I'd have liked" Tony sighed slightly.

"Nervous?" Gibbs asked, finally looking at Tony.

"You could say that. I'm nervous of saying the wrong thing or of Kate not turning up or that this is all a dream and I'll wake up all alone just as she's about to say 'I do'"

Gibbs said nothing, he merely did a half smirk as he patted Tony on his shoulder.

(-)

Tony stood at the end of the aisle, his palms sweating and his mouth dry. In less than five minutes those doors would open and Kate would walk in. His heart was pounding in his ears and his blood was coursing round his veins at 1000 miles per hour. He looked over his shoulder at Gibbs who, as much as he was trying to hide it, had the biggest grin on his face. Just as Tony turned back around, the doors opened and the pianist began to play some pretty, classical tune. Tony turned on his heals to see his daughters walking down the aisle, gently throwing rose petals as they did (after an almost two hour lesson off Ziva the night before on how to throw them gently and not crazily across the room). His heart skipped a beat as he saw the girls, they looked so adorable and were the image of Kate. They flashed Tony a toothy smile and waved at him when they were halfway down the aisle just as Abby, Ziva and Katy emerged. Tony smiled as he watched his colleagues and also his friends walk down the aisle behind his children. He almost didn't recognise Abby and Ziva, not only did they knock him senseless for a few seconds but also Gibbs, McGee, Ducky and Jenny too! They certainly did have one attractive team of agents. As the twins reached the end of the aisle, they both ran up to Tony and threw their arms around him in a bone crushing hug, kissing him on the cheek. This received a round of 'awwwws' from the guests as Abby and Ziva held out their hands for the girls to run to and hold on to for the rest of the service.

This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.

Tony took a deep breath as he waited for Kate to emerge. As the organist began to play the traditional 'Here Comes The Bride' tune, Kate and her father turned and entered through the door. Tony couldn't believe his eyes. Until now, he had never believed in angels... But seeing Kate, it was the only explanation he could come up with as to how somebody could be that stunning. Her father had his Navy uniform on and his youngest daughter on his arm. He had never felt so proud in all his life.

Kate had a strapless cream dress on that went down to the floor. The bodice was made from the lace of her mother's wedding dress and she had the blue stoned earrings in her mother wore on her wedding day. That was Kate's way of having her mother with her on the happiest day of her life (and as Abby pointed out, they also counted as her old, borrowed and blue too) Her 'new' was a little surprise she had in store for Tony tonight. Her dress wasn't big and puffy like most people were expecting but she looked even more beautiful than anybody could have pictured. Her face was covered with a veil, but Tony could see she was smiling. A tear came to his eye once she got to the end of the aisle, he father still holding onto her. As Richard Snr handed over his daughter to Tony, he clasped his son-in-law on the shoulder and smiled, knowing Kate couldn't have picked a better man to spend the rest of her life with.

Tony took take's perfectly manicured hand in his own as she stepped up the altar steps. As he lifted her veil away from her face, he was nearly knocked over when he was met with Kate's huge smile, her dimples bigger and more adorable than ever.

"You look... Beyond stunning" Tony whispered as the priest began the service.

Throughout the whole service, neither Kate nor Tony could take their eyes off the other. They spoke when they needed to, but the whole service was kind of a blur. A big, blissfully happy, beautiful blur.

"...do you Anthony DiNozzo Jnr take thee Caitlin Matilda Todd to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, in good times and in bad?" The priest brought Tony back to earth and out of 'planet Kate'.

"I do" Tony smiled, squeezing Kate's hand as he did.

"And do you Caitlin Matilda Todd take the Anthony DiNozzo Jnr to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, in good times and in bad?"

"I do" Kate smiled just as brightly as Tony did a few seconds before.

"You may now kiss the bride"

Tony's hand cupped Kate's cheek as he leaned in and pressed a soft, yet passionate kiss on his wife's lips. Yes his wife's lips. As the guests began to clap and cheer, Tony pulled away as Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up in a hug, spinning her around as he did. As he placed her back on the ground, he placed another chaste kiss on her lips before the girls ran up to both him and Kate again at full speed and wrapped their arms around their new parents.

"Do we get to be DiNozzo's now too?" Amelia looked up at her mother with hope in her big green-blue eyes.

After two hours of photo's being taken outside of the church and at the park next to it, Kate and Tony headed to the reception venue.

The room was decorated beautifully, it was all white with lilac flowers and giant lilac ribbons on the back of the chairs. The tables were set out around the huge dance floor where there was a DJ and all the kids dancing and running around.

Kate sat at the table next to McGee, watching Tony and Abby dance with Amelia and Lilly.

"So" Kate turned away from her family to face the younger agent. "When are you gonna do it?"

"Do what?" McGee asked, not taking his eyes off Abby twirling Lilly around as they danced.

"Ask Abby to marry you and have kids of your own?" Kate smiled devilishly.

Today was one of the only days where she could say anything she wanted and not get into trouble for it.

"I... What... Abby and I are just friends" McGee scoffed lamely.

"Timmy, everybody can see that you're in love with her and she's in love with you too. And the way you're looking at her now, dancing with the girls... You're not fooling anybody. If I've learnt anything in all my life its that life is short, too short to just sit around and deny your feelings. You're in love with Abby and you want to marry her and have little freaky kids of your own and she does too... There's no time like the present" Kate smiled again before taking a sip of champagne.

"What? Now?" McGee almost choked, his eyes going wide in shock.

"Why not?" Kate shrugged her shoulders.

"Because its your day?"

"Look, Tim. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't think it was a good idea. I love you and Abby and I want you to both be as happy as I am, that's all" Kate placed her hand on McGee's. "You don't have to, I'm just saying, she's at a wedding now, surrounded by love and romance, she's more likely to say yes" Kate winked.

"Hey, McGoo!" Tony walked up to his wife and as much as he would like to deny it, his best friend. "That's my wife you're flirting with" he narrowed his eyes and laughed at McGee pulled his hand away from Kate's as though he had just put it in the fire.

As McGee ran off to find Abby, and hopefully propose to her, Tony pulled Kate onto the dance floor with him.  
She rested her head on his chest as they moved to the slow beat of the music, his arms snaked around her waist keeping her as close to him as possible.

"Did you take lessons?" Kate asked, noticing Tony hadn't stepped on her feet once.

"Yup" Tony smiled proudly as Kate turned her head to look up at him. "That's why I stayed late every Thursday night... Ducky kinda gave me lessons" he blushed slightly.

"Aw, Tony!" Kate beamed as she pulled Tony down and pressed her lips to his.

"...YES! Timmy, yes! I thought you'd never ask!" Abby squealed, causing everyone's attention to turn to her.  
Both Kate and Tony smiled as they realised what had just happened. "Sorry" Abby apologised before jumping on her now fiance and locking lips with him.

Kate and Tony continued to dance along with the other couples on the dance floor. Abby danced with McGee, Gibbs with Jenny, Ziva with Roy, Kate's brother's with their wives and girlfriends, Ducky was happily entertaining Kate's Grandmother. Even the twins were somewhat dancing with the sons of one of Tony's college buddies. Kate sighed happily as Tony placed a sweet kiss on top of her head.

"So... Your middle name is 'Matilda'?" Tony laughed. "How did I not know that?" He added in a faux hurt tone of voice.

"It's a family name!" Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "My Mum thought it was pretty, okay?" She laughed at him as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Uhhhuuumm" Tony heard from behind him as he felt a tapping on his shoulder. "Mind if I dance with my Katie?" Richard Snr smiled.

Tony smiled as he stepped away and watched with a smile as Kate danced with her father, laughing and smiling as she did. He didn't think it was possible to ever be this happy or to have so much love for someone as he did for Kate. The fact she was now his wife, Mrs Caitlin 'Kate' DiNozzo made him all warm and fuzzy inside. Mr and Mrs DiNozzo. The fact he could say 'and this is Kate, my wife' to people or 'Mrs DiNozzo' just made him want to scream it from all the rooftops and mountains and anywhere and everywhere he could.

He looked over at the corner where two half melted white candles sat on a table with a white table cloth and two pictures in gold frames lay and smiled to the side. The pictures in the frames were of his mother and of Kate's mother. They couldn't physically be there, but both Kate and Tony believed they were there in spirit. His mother would of loved Kate and the girls and it broke his heart that the four of them wouldn't get a chance to meet.

"Are you okay, son?" Richard asked as he sat down in the seat next to Kate.

"Oh, yeah" Tony smiled, realising he much have been in his own little world. "I was just thinking about my Mum, that's all, and how she would have absolutely adored Kate and the girls" he smiled, taking Kate's hand in his own and placing a kiss on the back of her palm, inwardly smiling at the sight of the thin gold line on her finger signalling that she was his. Always and forever. No matter what, she would love him and he would love here and nothing could change that.

His life was whole. Complete. He had never had a family and never thought he would have one, but now, now he had the most amazing, beautiful family people could only dream about. Today was the first day of the rest of his life and he could not wait to start it.

**_I know it's kind of short and not that good... sorry. I hope you liked it anyway! Aw, are we happy Abby and McGee are engaged? But Kate and Tony are finally married, YAAAAAY! Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout the story and for all your kind words and encouragement. I couldn't have done it without you! Only one chapter left! Please let me know what you think:)  
_**

**_PS, NOOOOOOO COTE IS LEAVING. I AM STILL NOT OVER SASHA LEAVING AND NOW COTE TOO?! WILL TONY DINOZZO ONLY EVER GET A HAPILY EVER AFTER IN THE LAND OF FANFICTION?! _**


End file.
